The Distance
by margie311
Summary: Andy and Sam share a common interest and their relationship goes through some changes.
1. Chapter 1

*I feel the need to mention that I actually wrote this while I was in serious RB withdrawl this past winter. Now that the show is back on, my interest was renewed. Also, I know very VERY little about a typical day in law enforcement. And my writing will no doubt reflect that. I will be working with some cop friends to remedy this, sometime in the future. And also, I'm still trying to figure out this posting business. Bear with me.

*This takes place in the present, or at least after Takedown. Andy has moved in with Luke. Her partnership with Swarek has smoothed itself out for the time being, and they're actually on the road to being real friends.

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><p>"McNally, keep up," Sam yelled over his shoulder as he started the last quarter mile back to his house. In a tiny corner of his heart he felt a little guilty, listening to her panting behind him. The sun was hot, even this early in the morning, beating down on his shoulders. A gentle breeze offset the heat, filtering through the leaves above him.<p>

McNally was jogging slowly up the hill behind him, her arms swinging gently, feet slapping the pavement as she plodded. Earlier that month, she'd been chasing down a suspect who had eventually outrun her. She'd been embarrassed and had mumbled something about getting back on the treadmill. Jokingly, Swarek had said that she was welcome to run in the mornings with him if she thought she could pull herself out of bed that early. She replied with a sarcastic-sounding, "yeah, maybe I will." Imagine his astonishment when he opened the door one early morning to see her standing there, awake, if not exactly eager. They began running, doing 3 runs the first week, 4 runs the next week. Sometimes they took a day off, sometimes they did two in a row.

For the first two weeks, he'd taken her on his "easy route." Nearly 3 miles, they ran down his street for twelve blocks and then down one more into the park. After making a loop through the park, they ran back. Today, however, he'd surprised her with his "not so easy route." Instead of looping through the park, Sam changed it up by veering onto one of the city's recreational trails. This time, the entire run was around 5 miles. Jogging in place, he turned around and whistled at Andy as she walked the last twenty yards.

"Was it good for you?" he asked, grinning at her as she held her side and glared at him. As she passed, she gave him a small shove with one hand and then sat down hard on his front steps. He chuckled at her and wiped some sweat off his forehead.

"You're an asshole, you know that?" She leaned down, holding onto her toes in a stretch. As she progressed through her stretching exercises, he bounced in front of her, plucking his damp shirt away from his body. She resented how even though he had sweat through his T-shirt, he still looked fresh and ready to do another 5 miles. She, on the other hand, felt like someone had turned her inside out and left the ugly on the outside. Her ponytail was hanging limply down her back, sweat streaming from every pore, and she had the suspicion that her deodorant had stopped working after the first fifteen minutes.

"Come on. At least run down to the coffee shop with me." He leaned down and tried to grab her hand to pull her up. She slapped his away. "I'll buy you a muffin. And you can sit in a chair when we get there." She stood up, turned around, and stepped up onto his bottom step with her toes, stretching her calves. Holding the railing, she rolled her head side to side, trying to loosen up her neck and shoulders.

"I'm not going anywhere with you, you sadist. You could have told me that we were going longer today, you know." He clapped a hand on her shoulder and pulled her off the steps. As he turned her toward him, he put his other hand on her other shoulder and dug his fingers in, rubbing away the tension in her neck. _Okay_, she relented, as her head fell back a little, her eyes half closed. _Neither one of us smells that great_. _No need to feel embarrassed_.

"Quit whining. It's just a few blocks. We can walk back, and then I'll drive you home." Andy glared at him again and shook her head, rolling her shoulders when he removed his hands. He bent down a little closer and raised his eyebrows. "How are you ever going to make it when we kick it up to 8 miles?" At her glare, he added, "at least it's our day off; you can sleep when you get back to your place." She rolled her eyes at him.

"If you're going to drive me home, you might as well just drive me to the coffee shop." She smiled stiffly. "And, you can stop laughing at me. I used to run in high school when we trained for sports, and I ran at the academy. I just haven't really gone out since I started training. It's not as if you're known for _your_ athleticism either, you know." They started walking down the sidewalk. "I know we're supposed to stay fit, but I never hear Williams or Shaw comment on your ability to leave your fellow officers in the dust." They picked up the pace into a slow jog and she looked over at him. He gave her a tiny smile.

"Well, why would they want to talk about someone outrunning them?" He shrugged. "When I was undercover, it was less of a big deal. Now that I'm back on the streets, I find it a little more necessary. You know, gotta catch the bad guys." He looked over at her, smiling. "Besides, running is kind of peaceful, if you let yourself get into it."

"We're not really going to do 8 miles, are we?" He laughed, and turned his head forward.

"We'll work up to it."

-o-

Five minutes later, Sam was waiting in line. The coffee shop smelled like Starbucks but the coffee was better and they had the market cornered on inappropriately fatty baked goods. He'd been in the place a few times before, never really staying long. The furniture was all heavy-looking dark wood. The art on the walls tagged with the artists name and place of residence; all within 100 miles or so of the city. There was earthy-sounding acoustic guitar coming from speakers mounted in the corners of the room. The large windows were framed with a border of stained glass squares in every imaginable color. Sun shining through them made the store seem warm and comfortable.

He glanced out the open door, intending for it to last an instant, but the look turned into a long moment as he saw Andy sitting at one of the street-side tables, one leg crossed over the other, swinging her foot while watching the traffic. She smiled and gave a quick wave when she turned her head and found him staring at her.

After training together, even after spending all this time, he never really tired of Andy's company. There was still a touch of naivety but that could be refreshing in their business. Some didn't see it that way. Some saw it as an amusement, or a detriment to the case at hand. But sometimes that innocence, that belief in the basic good could help propel a person, and in her, Sam had seen that as a strength. This quality in her had changed some during her training. She questioned people more than she used to. That instinct of hers that told her to give people the benefit of the doubt had not quite disappeared, but it was endangered. For McNally, as a cop, it was probably an asset, but for McNally as a person, he felt guilty for helping to dispel that trust.

"Can I help you?" He turned back to the counter.

"Yeah. Sorry about that." The woman at the counter smiled at him. Light streamed through the stained glass and cast purple and blue light over her hair. Her name tag said "Kate". She looked to be in her thirties. Her dark blonde hair was thick, waving past her slim shoulders, and her eyes were slightly teasing as she spoke to him.

"It's no problem. What would you like this morning?"

"Yeah, I'll have two regular coffees. And an onion bagel and a muffin."

"Anything on the bagel?" He held up a couple of cream cheese packets he snagged from the condiment counter. "Okay, then, what kind of muffin?" He looked in the glass case and froze. There must have been a dozen different varieties. Sheepishly, he looked back at her. She raised her eyebrows, questioningly.

"Which kind is best?"

She smirked at him and started naming them off. After a few seconds, he held up a hand and grinned at her.

"I'll just take _your_ favorite. I trust your judgment." She flashed a big smile at him and winked at him as she put a banana walnut muffin into a paper bag along with his bagel. She handed it over after he paid his bill.

"You can pick up your coffee at the end of the counter." He took the bag and looked down when he felt her fingers graze his palm while giving him back his change and receipt. Sam raised his eyes to her again, the eye contact lasting until he walked to the end of the counter and she had to turn to the next customer. For a moment, he observed her, watching her as she did her job, beaming and cheerfully helping the people in front of her. She glanced over in his direction once and he caught her eye, just long enough to let her know that it wasn't a coincidence.

"Sir, your beverages?" The teenage boy in front of him was setting two coffees on the counter.

"Thanks, man. Can you do me a favor and give this to the woman at the till?" Sam scribbled his name and phone number on the back of his receipt, folded it up and handed it to the boy. Holding the bag under his elbow, he grabbed the two coffees and walked out of the store

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><p>* Note: Not only am I American and use miles because I am fundamentally unable to comprehend kilometers, but I am also extremely useless at coming up with fictitious names for books, movies, stores and of course, coffee shops. I beg readers to submit their ideas for names for this shop<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for the reviews everyone. I know that some of you are worried about Sam finding someone else. Never fear. I have a master plan.**

**Also, I've been posting what I had written from months ago, so sometime soon, the updates will be coming a tiny bit slower. But not too slow ;)**

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><p>Early the next morning, she lay awake in bed, waiting for her alarm to go off. Luke was breathing deep and steady next to her, his back turned towards her. She just kept staring at the clock, watching the minutes change. After another five minutes, she reached over and turned off the alarm and quietly got out of bed. She had already put her clothing in the bathroom the night before, so she wouldn't wake Luke on her way out. He liked to talk over breakfast. And sometimes, Andy just preferred to have some quiet in the mornings, time to prepare for her day.<p>

In truth, Andy looked forward to her runs with Sam. About half a mile into the morning, the endorphins kicked in and she enjoyed herself, and she enjoyed his company immensely. Even after a few weeks, she could feel her body getting even stronger, her endurance and stamina increasing. At least she felt that way until they started on the longer routes. Now, she felt good until maybe mile four. After, she felt mostly irritation and no small amount of embarrassment as she started huffing and puffing. She'd always considered herself a natural athlete, but she'd stopped running after she left the academy. She wasn't getting soft, but her breathing was off, and she knew it. Her muscles started screaming a little earlier than they did even a few years ago. She had to take walk breaks, which was frustrating, yet necessary. But then, that was the whole point of these runs. She needed to be able to run down the bad guys.

Andy sat down at the kitchen table and put on her Sauconys. She quickly peeled a banana and ate it. She'd always felt like she could keep up with Sam, _h__e'd_ never outrun her on the job before. It was only recently that she realized that it was because he'd never had the opportunity. She smiled briefly. _Imagine McNally, if he can keep going that long on the trail__ how long he could go…shut up!_ She shook her head, banishing similar thoughts from racing through her head. Things were finally good between them. She almost never felt that slow tug in the pit of her stomach when he looked at her. Only rarely did a look between them last more than a few seconds, or his touch smolder against her skin.

_And more importantly_, she told herself, _things are finally back to normal with Luke_. He trusted her again, and while he didn't wholeheartedly approve of the early morning meetings with Sam, it wasn't as if he could ask her to stop exercising. He preferred to run on the treadmill while watching the news. It wasn't exactly something he could ask her to do with him, and so thankfully, he kept his mouth shut. She'd entertained thoughts of asking him to join her and Sam, but their running something that was between the two of them, moving together in companionable silence for most of the time.

Andy left the house quietly, turning the knob when she closed the door so it didn't even click behind her. After selecting a playlist, she strapped her iPod around her upper arm and put in her earbuds. She jogged in place for a few steps and then started the 6 blocks to Sam's at an easy pace to fight off the early morning chill.

Sam splashed some cold water on his face and looked at his reflection in the mirror. He looked tired. There was no way around it. There were dark circles under his eyes and his body ached slightly from falling asleep on the couch with the game on the night before. He paused with his toothbrush in his mouth and walked out of the bathroom. For a minute, he actually walked through his living room, searching for his cell phone to call McNally and cancel for the morning. The second his fingers closed around it, she knocked on his door. Rubbing a hand over his face, he opened the door and walked away, finishing his teeth as she entered.

"Wow, you look awful." Andy laughed shortly as he flipped her the bird and shuffled into the bathroom to spit, and then into his bedroom to get dressed. Andy sat down on his sofa and clicked on the television. She flipped through a few channels and then switched it back off. Looking to her left, she noticed the pillow and the blanket flung haphazardly into the corner. "You know, sleeping in front of the TV is supposed to be detrimental to your health. You don't get your full REM cycle, or something like that. And then you wake up..." She glanced up to see him standing in front of her, leaning against the wall, yawning. "Well...like that I guess." She gave him a toothy grin and followed him into the kitchen. He pulled a granola bar from one of the cupboards and sat down at the table to eat it and pull on his shoes.

"I had a late night. Cut me some slack. I'm still going out there." _Just barely_, he thought to himself. If she had been even 2 minutes later, he might be back on the couch, snoring softly by now.

"What, hot date? Not that hot, I guess if you slept on your own couch."

"Very funny. The game went into overtime." He looked at her as she sat across from him, fingers tapping on the tabletop, smiling at him. The muscles in her arm flexed slightly as she brought her hands together, folding one over the other. As the moment stretched out, she glanced over her shoulder at the door, and back at him. "Don't you think we should...?" Tearing his eyes from hers, he nodded quietly and they got up and he followed her out, locking the door behind him.

Andy was already warmed up, and as they started down the hill, she threw a glance over her shoulder. Sam was zipping up his sweatshirt and yawning deeply. She raised her eyebrows.

"Should I be worrying about _you_ keeping up with _me_ today?"

"Shut up, McNally. I like to pace myself."

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><p>A mile down the road, he came up even with her, and they ran in silence, their breath coming out in visible puffs. The summer was quickly turning into fall, and while the sun was nice and warm when they got done running, the early mornings were colder every day. The trees were shading all the trails in the park, keeping the sun from warming the air around them. Next to him, he saw an almost imperceptible shiver run through his partner. Goosebumps stood up on the skin of her shoulder and the nape of her neck where her sweatshirt gapped, and despite the chill, Sam felt a prickle of sweat on his forehead. Forcing his eyes forward, he moved out ahead of her, increasing his speed.<p>

The park was normally a common place for early morning runners, but there were less than usual that day. Andy noticed a couple of the people she would consider "regulars," but not many more. In another half hour or so, there would be more. It was still a little dark, another casualty of the summer ending, but the air was clear, and in a few minutes later, the sky lightened slightly. Next to her, Sam pulled ahead and she let her eyes rest on the breadth of his shoulders, his narrow hips, the long muscles in his legs. She felt herself slowing and picked up the pace, pushing herself a little harder as they hit the trail.

A little over an hour later, McNally was on her way home, and Sam walked through his house alone. Everything was still and light streamed in through the windows. He filled the filter and flipped the switch on the coffee pot. As he made his way to the bathroom, he pulled of his clothing, piece by piece, tossing it across the hall into his bedroom. He stepped into the shower and soaped up quickly, rinsed and for a few minutes, stood with his back to the spray, letting the pressure beat the tension from his neck, mentally preparing for the day ahead.

Each day of this new friendship was better. He and Andy were easy with each other, for the most part. They could sit together quietly with little awkwardness. And if he controlled himself, he could keep himself from reacting when he saw her talking with Luke, saw him touching her hair. But he was lonely. That was part of the reason he had given that woman his number the day before. Part loneliness, and part just to prove to himself that he still could. He wasn't even sure what he would do if she actually called him. He turned around, and shut the water off. He grabbed a towel as he stepped out of the shower and wrapped it around his waist. Sam scrubbed a hand towel over the fogged up mirror and stared at himself. _Well, you're not getting any younger._ Even if he wasn't sure, he should take a chance and just go. If she called, that is. _What's the worst that could happen?_ Anything was better than hanging back and watching other people move ahead with their lives. Life was too short to wait around for things that might never happen.

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><p>Andy sat at the desk with Traci that day. Peck was riding with Swarek and Andy was feeling a little irritated at having to be inside all day.<p>

"How's living with Homicide Luke? You haven't really said much about it, since you actually moved in." Andy looked at Traci and shrugged, smiling.

"It's fine. We're both still unpacking, and getting used to having two people in a living space, you know. But it's fine. Great even." Nash snickered.

"Right. Have you found anything that just makes you crazy yet? That's when you really know you're living together."

"Luke doesn't really seem to have any bad habits. I mean, he cleans up after himself, dishes are rinsed and put right into the dishwasher, he doesn't leave whiskers all over the sink. So far, he's perfect."

"He doesn't seem to have any bad habits, _yet,_ you mean. That much perfection is a bad habit in itself." Traci got up and gestured for Andy to hand over her empty coffee cup. "There's nothing wrong with a little disorder every now and again." She walked away to the coffee station.

Andy flipped through the report in front of her. As she glanced around the station, she noticed the subject of their discussion talking to a uniformed officer across the room. As he glanced up, he met her eyes and gave her a little nod and she smiled back, then turned around and set the file on the desk. She wasn't lying. Luke was the perfect roommate. Considerate of her time and space. He was quiet if she was sleeping, and before she started getting up so early, would make breakfast and keep it warm for her while she got ready for work. But people generally didn't feel sparks with their roommates, and Andy had to admit that this situation was no exception. They got along, they were attracted to each other, but something was a little…off. She didn't know if it was chemistry or timing. They were comfortable, but right now, there were no fireworks.

Sometimes Andy welcomed that comfort. It was easier than a relationship full of drama. But if she looked down the road, a year or two from now..." If Luke was expecting a quiet and considerate marriage, they were going to have problems. She couldn't live a lifetime like this.

Near the end of the day, Nash looked up as she heard Peck and Swarek come in. As he passed the desk Sam leaned down and gave her a cheerful hello, slapping the counter top playfully. She looked up at Gail, mystified.

"Well he's certainly got an extra spring in his step today."

Gail rolled her eyes. "Yeah, he's been like that since lunch. Must have been a good burger." She leaned over the counter and bent down. "Actually," she whispered. "He got this mystery call, even left the table to take it. He hasn't stopped smiling since." Her brow furrowed as she looked after him. "It's really kind of annoying." She nodded to Traci and followed Swarek through the room.

A few minutes later, Andy came back and sat down next to Traci.

"I cannot wait until this shift is over. It's like the slowest day of my life." Nash leaned over and smacked her shoulder with the back of her hand. McNally looked back at her, confused. "What?"

"You didn't give Swarek a happy in the locker room during your lunch break, did you?"

Andy's eyebrows shot up and she laughed. "Yeah, right."

Traci leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms over her chest. "Well the man is acting uncharacteristically chipper. Even Peck mentioned it."

"Let's just skip over the fact that I wouldn't do that, since I'm in a committed relationship."

Traci smirked. "So where did _you_ go for lunch?"

"Get real, Trac. I _did_ just move in with my boyfriend. His name is Luke. I think you met him once or twice." Traci gave her a smug look and turned back to the pile of papers she was putting in order on the desk in front of her.

"Don't give me that self-righteous bullshit. I know you're still keeping your old apartment." Andy looked around guiltily, making sure no one else was within earshot.

"Hey, my lease wasn't up yet. And besides, it never hurts to have a backup plan."

Traci gave her a sidelong glance. "You shouldn't need a backup plan yet. You've barely been in that house a month."

"It's just for a while, until everything settles down a bit. Until we're all unpacked, and we relax a little, see how we are living together."

"You mean until _you_ see. Luke doesn't know you kept it. He doesn't know about the backup plan." Even though she was facing away from her, Andy could hear the smile in her voice.

"Well, I'm going to sublet it, so once I find a renter, it won't cost me anything So I kept it, big deal. It's just in case."

Traci swiveled her chair around to face her. "In case you change your mind, you mean."

"Yes." That earned her a pointed look, and she backpedaled a little. "Or...or maybe he'll change _his_ mind. He _is_ awfully neat you know. And me? Kind of a slob."

"The man just bought a house and asked you to move into it with him. I don't think he's going to change his mind. Actually, he doesn't seem like the kind of guy that changes his mind about much of anything."

"Can we please talk about something else?" Andy pleaded with a desperate smile. Traci handed her a stack of papers.

"File these, and I'll think about it." She replied with a sly smile.

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><p>Later in the evening, Andy zipped up her hoodie and slung her bag over her shoulder. Luke told her he'd be busy for a while so she was angling for a ride to the bar with Swarek. She walked out of the locker room and hurried out to the parking lot.<p>

"Sam!" He was just walking around the back of his truck to the driver's side and looked up as he heard her. "Can I get a ride with you? I told everyone I'd meet them at the Penny, but I stayed a little longer to talk to Luke, and I think I missed them." She hurried over to meet him.

"Sorry, McNally. I'm not going to the Penny tonight." She looked at him, puzzled. He was freshly showered, and as she stepped up she could smell the clean, fresh scent of soap on his skin.

"Then where are you going?" She frowned, confused.

"I've got to go home and change. I've got somewhere to be tonight."

"Do you have a date or something?" He raised his eyebrows and looked up briefly, as if he were considering her words. And then gave her a huge grin.

"Something, maybe." He nodded towards the station. "Peck and Diaz are still here." She looked over her shoulder. They were just walking out together. "You should be able to catch a ride with them. See you tomorrow." He swung into his truck and Andy backed away, tucking her hair behind her ear as she turned and moved toward Chris and Gail. She glanced back a few times, watching him as he pulled his truck out of the lot and drove down the road.

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><p>Andy set her beer on the table and slid into the chair next to Traci.<p>

"Did you know that Swarek had a date tonight?" Traci raised an eyebrow and considered it.

"I suppose that would account for his good mood. I wonder who it's with." She took a sip of her apple martini.

"That's the thing. I have absolutely no idea. I mean, I see the guy every day. You'd think I might pick up a hint about it." Traci shook her head.

"You weren't even riding with him today. Don't worry. Gail sat next to him for hours and she didn't even know he had a date, so you're one step ahead." She looked down and smoothed a wrinkle out of her top. "Besides, it's about time. I don't think I've ever even seen him with a woman outside of work." Andy took a large gulp of her beer tapped her fingernails against the wet glass.

"He used to see this nurse, Monica. But he gave me the impression that it wasn't a serious thing." She smirked. "He certainly doesn't act like he's getting any on a regular basis. You'd think he'd be a little easier to get along with."

"That's what I'm saying. It's about time." Traci looked towards the door, waving as Epstein and Diaz made their way over. "I'm happy for the guy."

Andy looked down at her beer, took another drink. "Yeah, me too."


	3. Chapter 3

**Note: I've become super addicted to all your awesome reviews. I check my phone for new emails far more than I think is healthy. Please keep it up.**

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><p>Andy stretched out in bed. Luke was already up; she could hear him rattling around in the kitchen. She threw the covers off and put her feet on the hard floor, curling her toes at the cold. Outside, the sun was still a faint promise, lighting the sky a soft pinky blue, but not yet peeking over the horizon. She yawned, stood up and wobbled her way to the bathroom. She looked in the mirror. The girl who looked back looked like a shadow of the girl who needed to be at work in 90 minutes. She'd gone to bed with her make-up on last night, and this morning it was smeared under her eyes. She was fairly sure that if she hadn't had so many drinks the night before, she wouldn't have slept at all. So maybe the tiny hangover was something to be thankful for. <em>Doubtful<em>. Was it better to have a nagging headache all day, and be slightly rested, or not sleep at all, but be headache free?

She groaned and turned around. She turned the shower on and dragged her pajamas off. She stepped into the shower and hissed, falling back against the wall as her desperate hand reached out to turn up the hot water. _Nothing like a blast of freezing cold water to wake a person up, McNally_. As the water turned hot, she stood under the spray for a long time, letting it run over her hair and down her back. She picked up Luke's shampoo and opened it and closed her eyes, inhaling its scent. The man certainly smelled good. And expensive. She set the bottle down and picked up her own.

Ten minutes later, she was wrapping herself in a towel and making wet footprints into the bedroom. She picked her comb up off the dresser and sat down on the bed. For a few seconds she just sat there, holding it, mind completely blank, eyes looking at nothing. The shower had almost taken care of her headache, and she felt awake. But she felt strange. It was almost an emptiness, the source of which, she could not pinpoint. Out the window, the sun had come up some, lighting the streets and trees to the east. It looked warm out, the roads were dry. She wished she had gotten up earlier. She almost felt like she was missing out on something by not going for a run this morning. She had gotten used to it. She loved being on the road before any of her neighbors' windows lit up. It was a very special time of the day. But her legs needed a rest.

"Hey, good morning." Andy smiled over her shoulder as Luke poked his head in. "I've got eggs waiting for you downstairs, as soon as you're ready to eat."

"Sounds good."

He patted the door frame absently and looked at her guiltily. "I kind of told them I'd be in a little early today. I know you'd have to sit around for a while but if you want a ride, you've got maybe fifteen minutes to get dressed and eat. Or you can eat in the car. Whatever works."

"Yeah, no problem. I'll be down in a few."

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><p>Swarek yawned as he drove through a sleepy residential neighborhood and glanced over at McNally. They'd responded to a call about a shoplifter, a couple of traffic accidents, and ticketed a few speeders. She, like the city, had been uncharacteristically quiet for most of the day. He'd made a sarcastic remark about the shoplifter they'd hauled in and it had barely earned a smile.<p>

"Everything okay with you, McNally?"

"Everything's fine." She turned to look at him with her eyebrow raised. "How about yourself?"

"Yeah, I'm great. No problems."

She drummed her fingers on her knee and looked out the window. "How was your night?" she asked casually.

The corner of his mouth turned up. "You mean my date?"

"I mean your date." She turned her head and fixed her eyes on him.

"It was okay," he answered cautiously, keeping his eyes forward.

"Anyone I'd know?" The intent way she was looking at him was starting to make him uncomfortable.

"I don't think so."

"Well, how'd you meet?"

He prayed for dispatch to come over the radio. _Silence. _"I bought coffee from her the other morning."

"You're dating a barista?"

"No, not dating, not yet. One date. And actually, she's the owner."

"Not yet?"

"What's with the third degree, McNally?"

She rolled her eyes and turned back to her window. "Nobody's forcing you to answer me."

"Well is there anything personal_ you'd_ care to share today?"

"Not particularly."

"Okay then."

Sam drove silently, his thoughts drifting to Kate. He'd actually had a good time. A great time. When she called, he was going to suggest going out the next weekend, but she surprised him by asking him out for that night. She had a few friends who played in a cover band, and they were playing one of the neighborhood dives. So he met her at her shop and they walked to the bar and had a couple of beers. Apparently, he was the only person in a five mile radius who had never been to the place because it was packed.

_The bartender waved to Kate as they walked in and pointed to a table in the corner._

_"Friend of yours?" She waved back to the guy._

_"Friends in the band, band plays here a lot. You know how it works."_

_It was hard to hear each other during the set, but conversation flowed easily during the band's break. When he leaned forward to hear what she was saying over the din of voices in the background, he caught the scent of vanilla on her long wavy hair and it smelled warm and familiar and put him at ease._

_She was a few years younger than him, never married, a proud business owner of four years. She had lived in the city all her life, but had traveled all over the world after she was done with school. She liked all different kinds of music, but claimed to __**know**__ just by looking at him that he was a classic rock kind of guy, hence the cover band. Definitely a different type of woman than he usually went out with, Kate was direct, answering his questions with a frankness that was almost startling._

_And when they'd both learned a little about each other, she'd leaned in and taken his face in her hands and kissed him softly on the mouth. When she pulled back a few moments later, her green eyes sparkled and she said, "Just wanted to make sure. There'd be no point in going on with this if that hadn't worked out."_

_He'd sat back, a little surprised, more than a little turned on and had nodded. "Yeah," he answered, his voice catching in his throat a little. "Wouldn't want to waste our time."_

Yes, it had been a great date. But something felt…off. Timing or something else. It wasn't a chemistry thing. There were sparks. He took a sip of coffee and glanced to his right. Then again, maybe he was just making excuses.

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><p>At the end of her shift, Andy was sitting in a chair in Luke's office, paging through a magazine. Luke was tapping away at his computer, hair flashing in the soft glow of the desk lamp. His eyes were trained on the monitor, and he didn't see Andy glance at her watch in irritation. She should have caught a ride with someone else, but she thought that waiting a few minutes wouldn't be so bad. So far, she'd been waiting a half hour. She'd already read the interesting parts of the magazine and was pretty close to falling asleep from sheer boredom. A tap on the door made her head snap up. Swarek stuck his head in.<p>

"Hey, McNally. Show up a little earlier tomorrow morning and we'll do five miles."

She nodded. "Yeah, sounds good." For a split second, as she looked at him, she considered asking him for a ride, but seeing the annoyed look on Luke's face changed her mind.

Swarek said, "Night Callaghan," and popped his head back out.

Luke exhaled audibly and turned his monitor off. Andy stood up and put on her sweatshirt as he grabbed his jacket and turned off his desk lamp.

"Thanks for waiting. I really didn't expect it to take that long." He gathered her to his side and they walked out of his office and through the empty station to the parking lot. She wrapped her arm around his waist and he felt solid against her, under her cheek. "You know," he said. "I trust you, but I can't lie. In some primal part of my brain, it really bothers me that you leave our bed in the morning to go get sweaty with that guy." He smiled down at her and she laughed and hit him gently in the ribs with her fist.

As she got into the car, she caught a glimpse of her reflection in the side-view mirror and noticed that the smile hadn't quite reached her eyes.

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><p>The Penny was kind of quiet that night. A few people sat at a few tables. A couple played darts in the corner, and another girl stood at the jukebox. Sam slid in next to Oliver at the bar. He signaled the bartender and let out a contented sigh after he took a sip of his drink.<p>

"So, I heard you had a date last night."

" 'You heard?' From who?"

"The question is who didn't I hear it from." He nudged him and laughed. "Just kidding. Jerry told me."

"McNally has a big mouth. Never tell her anything you don't want Traci Nash to know." He looked down at his drink as he brought it up to his lips.

"So, how'd it go?"

"It was good."

"She hot?"

Sam took another drink and nodded, eyebrows raised.

"Good. Maybe she's the ticket to getting McNally out of your system."

Sam gave him half a smile. "We'll see."

"I'm serious buddy. As long as you two are spending so much time together, no other woman is ever going to have a chance."

Sam laughed half-heartedly. "Well I don't see that changing any time soon. We work together and now we're hanging out in the mornings too."

"Before work?"

Sam nodded. "We run most mornings. Sometimes we have breakfast after. Didn't you hear _that_ around the station? We're friends." He said the last word a little bitterly, feeling it roll off his tongue with a little difficulty.

"So stop running."

"Yeah, well, I got her into that, so I can't exactly quit, can I?"

"Then stop with the breakfasts."

"I don't want to," he said pointedly, looking him straight in the eye.

"She's not your girlfriend, Sammy," Oliver said quietly, looking at his friend. "As much as you might want her to be, she's not."

"I know that."

"Do you?"

"It's made abundantly clear every time I see that." He pointed vaguely in the direction of the door as McNally and Callaghan walked in. He waved the bartender over for a refill. Andy looked over in his direction and smiled at him, giving a small wave.

"That!" Oliver gestured as Sam's head snapped toward him. "No more of that. No more of the lingering stares or the hand brushing or whatever ridiculous junior high mating games you two are playing. It's not beneficial to your situation and honestly, it's nauseating the rest of us," he finished with a short laugh. "But seriously, knock it off. Because she's going to end up with a bunch of toddlers running around in the back yard, and you're going to end up alone, because you refused to give anyone else a chance." He finished his drink and held it up for the bartender. "Now tell me more about this hot girl."

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><p>The next morning was misty, and Andy's shirt was damp before she and Sam even got to the path. The silence that settled between them was thick and she briefly listened to the rhythm of her feet, and the sound of her breath coming steady but quick. The tiny woman inside her iPod was telling her that she had 5 miles to go and as usual, the slight ache in her quads seemed to disappear after that first mile.<p>

Her eyes flicked quickly to the side. Sam had been a little…brusque with her when she'd shown up this morning. More than normal morning crankiness. She glanced over at Sam again and he smiled wryly at her.

"Something on your mind, McNally?"

"Are you hung over?"

He gave a short laugh. "I'm not. Why do you ask?"

She shook her head. "No reason." _So, crabby for another reason then._

"Anything else?" There was heavy annoyance in his voice and she raised her eyebrows, a little pissed off.

"Actually, now that you mention it."

"Great. Let's have it."

She narrowed her eyes in determination. "Well, we're friends now."

"Yes, I'm aware."

"And friends tell each other things."

"Yeah?"

"Like about their lives….and how their dates go."

He glanced over at her again. "I'm not talking to you about that."

"C'mon Sam. I'm curious."

"Well I'm not one of your girlfriends, so you'll just have to stay curious." He lengthened his stride a little and pulled away from her, ending the conversation. She narrowed her eyes and sped up until she drew even with him again.

They ran for ten minutes or so in silence and then she looked over at him again. "Why don't you want to talk about it?"

"Because it's none of your business," he said exasperated. He ran the back of his hand over his forehead and focused his attention ahead of him.

"But I mean, really. A date…it's…it's an exciting thing, right? Don't you want to tell a friend about it?" She looked over at him, trying to catch his eye.

"I did tell a friend. I told Shaw."

"But, Sam…"

He exhaled loudly and stopped in his tracks, holding out a hand to catch her arm. "Listen, this thing…it's still very new. In fact, it's not even a thing yet. It was one date. We went to a bar, listened to some music. No big deal. I haven't called her yet, but honestly, you and me? We're not at this place yet."

She frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, we're friends. I know we spend a lot of time together. Don't ask me why, but I'm not exactly comfortable sharing the intimate details of my personal life with you, not yet anyway. I don't transition that quickly. I don't ask you to spill your deepest darkest secrets, or ask about your thing with Callaghan." She looked down at his hand, still on her arm. As she did, he released it, putting his hands on his hips, for lack of a better place. "Just don't push it, okay? When I want you to know something, you'll know."

She nodded, her eyes looking anywhere but at him. "Okay, you're right. I was a little pushy." She nodded and they started running again, but she started to fall behind a little. He hadn't yelled, but her feelings were hurt. She really didn't _want_ to hear about any details. Didn't want to know, but _had_ to know. Was this woman smart? Was she pretty? Did he really actually _like_ her? She felt a little catch in her breathing at that thought.

Sam had been making a conscious effort to not look over at Andy. He was struggling with it so much that he didn't hear her pace slow, didn't even notice she wasn't beside him until she'd fallen back about half a dozen strides. He looked over his shoulder and saw the dark expression on her face. He stopped again and held out an arm as she attempted to pass by him.

She stepped back and put her hands on her hips. "What now? Want to tell me that I have bad breath, or that I'm not a good cop? You could really start my day off with a bang." He rolled his eyes.

"Look, I'm sorry, alright? I'm just trying to work through some stuff and I took it out on you." She shook her head and sniffed, looking anywhere but at him with her arms crossed.

"I'm not sure what else you want me to say."

"Yeah, I'm guess I'm not really sure either," she replied.

"So let's just finish up then, alright?"

"Yeah."

"Are you alright?" She nodded.

He smiled. "And just so you know, your breath isn't _that_ bad."

Andy smiled and shoved him, taking off down the path ahead of him.

They stopped at the corner a block away from his apartment and she stopped, putting a hand on his arm. He stepped back from her touch put his hands on his hips. She raised a questioning eyebrow but got no response.

"Okay then. Luke had to go in early for something so do you want to go get breakfast?"

He started to back away towards his house. "Actually I have a few stops to make before I go in, but if you need a ride, I can swing back and pick you up after I finish."

"Yeah, that'll work." She stood there confused, watching as he walked away, and then turned around and headed for home.

He rolled his head around on his shoulders, loosening up the muscles as he walked. He stretched each arm across his chest. When he got home, he'd finish with his legs and then have an unappetizing bowl of cold cereal. Breakfast with McNally was a far more appealing prospect. But Oliver had a point. He wasn't being fair to himself. And what if he _did_ wait around forever for McNally to change her mind and she never did? It would be worse, coming to terms with it farther down the line. And the date had been good. He nodded to himself as he unlocked his back door. He was entitled to a social life that didn't revolve around unavailable coworkers.


	4. Chapter 4

**Note: Visit my profile for more extensive notes on this story. Parts 3, 4, and 5 are all going to be posted on the same day, because I've been working extremely hard revising them, and I just need to let go already.**

**I love the reviews! Keep them coming.**

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><p>The next month passed uneventfully for Andy, at least for the most part. She sublet her apartment to a girl going to a part-time college student, part-time waitress. Work stayed pretty much the same. She and Swarek had a couple of good high profile busts, more than a few routine traffic stops, domestic abuse calls, and plenty of car accidents and bar fights.<p>

Their runs continued. They'd leveled out at a steady five miles. At this point, they ran mostly together, mostly out of routine, but sometimes Andy would sneak in a short one at night, just for herself. Over the last several weeks, the trees had colored and then browned and then even the bright red maple outside her place with Luke had lost most of its leaves. Instead of just grabbing a bite and running out the door, she'd bought a lightweight jacket, and underneath wore layers. She started out each morning with mittens and a headband, shoving them in the zippered pocket of the jacket when she started getting warm. Her breath was exhaled in tiny white puffs, and her runs were dark now from start to finish, in the mornings and at night.

She and Luke were spending more time together. His caseload was lighter than it had been in months and he was home more often, another reason why she started doing double runs. She was grateful for the time together, especially after he had been absent on so many occasions previously. However, some days, after having criminals and witnesses in her face all day, the last thing she wanted was to have to make conversation with one more person, even if that person was her boyfriend. But they began going out to dinner more often, going out on the weekends. She was heading over to the Black Penny less and less, and the times she did spend there, she only stayed a little while, hardly an hour. She found that the mornings after she stayed out drinking, her runs were less enjoyable, and because she was more dehydrated, her endurance suffered.

She never expected the running to affect her the way it had. Though always athletic, she felt stronger than ever. There was something powerful about knowing that your body was capable of running comfortably up to 8 miles a day. But mentally, it cleared her out. She didn't have to think when she ran, especially when she ran alone, and it lowered her stress, helping her to make it through the hours of a very exhausting job. She'd come to think of it as a necessity. Her morning runs were no longer an option, and she found she had trouble sitting still on her rest days.

The month was _mostly_ uneventful. The one thing that had changed was that she was seeing less and less of Swarek. They ran in the mornings, but their conversation was brief and stilted. At work, everything was business as usual, but she almost never saw him afterwards at the Penny (partly because she hardly ever went), and they never went to breakfast anymore. Twice, she'd stopped and picked up something at the 24 hour grocery store before she got to his house, and after their runs, they'd sit at his table and drink coffee and shoot the shit. However, Sam no longer seemed at ease with her digging in his fridge, walking around freely and looking at the pictures on his walls. He could barely sit still when they were simply sitting at the table in his softly lit kitchen. And the more uncomfortable he acted, the less willing she was to make another effort. A few times, she'd tried to draw him out verbally, but he'd been standoffish, and she started getting used to it. Andy knew that if he wanted to talk about something, he would. But, the longer they went without a real conversation, the more the chances of one declined. And she still hadn't met his new girlfriend.

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><p>One very early morning, Andy jogged down the alley and let herself into Swarek's yard. She ran lightly up the steps and banged on his door with a mittened fist and then bounded back down. She ran in place as she looked at the sky. It was still black around her, wouldn't lighten up for a couple of hours, but a small amount of snow was falling gently, melting before it hit the ground. In a no time at all, the ice would make running outside tricky. She may have to think about kicking Luke off the treadmill, or maybe get a gym membership.<p>

After a few moments, she ran up the steps again and pounded louder. As she walked down the steps, she rolled her shoulders, checked her iPod. She was planning on an extra mile this morning, and so she was at his house maybe fifteen minutes earlier than usual. But he was always up and moving around by the time she got there. The door swung open loudly and her head snapped up, words dying on her lips.

Swarek walked out; sleep was still clouding his face, his body was wrapped in a soft blue sheet.

"God McNally, it's the middle of the night. And it's freezing."

"Come on, get dressed. It's Wednesday. I want to do 6 today." He rubbed his hand over his face and then over his head, making his hair stand upon end. He blinked a few times and then nodded.

"Shit," he smiled sleepily. "I forgot. Give me a few minutes."

"Sam?" A voice came from somewhere in the dark house. He looked over his shoulder at the blond woman who appeared in the doorway. She was wearing only a black T-shirt that hung loose on her small frame, and her she rubbed her hands over her arms, warming them in the chilled air. Spotting Andy, she lifted a hand in a tired wave.

As Andy stared at her, she felt the blood drain from her face and her feet began moving of their own free will. She backed away to the gate, and then turned, fingers fumbling inside her mittens and she struggled with the latch on his gate.

"Andy?" he called. Her hands were shaking as she finally ripped her mittens off and opened the gate. "Andy just wait."

"Take your time," she yelled over her shoulder. "Or just forget it. I'll see you later." And she set off for the trail at a sprint.

She commanded her spinning brain to shut up as her foot hit the trail. She turned up the volume on her iPod and listened to the voice on the recording telling her to begin her run. The jog to Swarek's was always her warm-up, so when she got to the park, she could just go. The music helped. She could sing along in her head and force out everything else. Mindless.

Since she was going to tack on an extra mile, she needed to change up her route a little bit to avoid running over the same stretch too many times. The longer her runs got, the harder it became and she started thinking if maybe it was time to find a new route. Andy did the first three miles at quicker pace than usual, giving into the almost animal need to just _run_. Her muscles screamed for the first little bit, and then quieted down after a while. She slowed to a comfortable jog as she approached the water fountain and bent down, taking just a few sips. She reached up to tuck a few stray hairs back into the ponytail when someone grabbed her arm and spun her around.

"McNally. Jesus, I've been looking for you everywhere." Swarek stood there with his hands on his hips, looking exasperated.

"Well, I'm here. I had to make some route changes to fit in the extra mile."

"You didn't have to leave, you know. You could have waited."

"Yeah, well, I'm on a schedule today. I didn't have time to wait." He raised an eyebrow and she turned away from the slight concern in his expression.

"Well, how much do you have left? I'll do the last part with you."

"You don't have too. I'm just about done anyway." He reached out to her waist and tapped the power button on her iPod, checking her distance tracker.

"Your chip says you still have three miles to go." Andy looked down at the traitorous gizmo lodged in the laces of her running shoe. "C'mon, Mcnally. Let's get moving."

She rolled her eyes and put her ear buds back in. Her slow jog quickly became faster the more irritated she became, until she was sure her heart was going to fly right out of her chest. She glanced to her left and saw that Swarek was keeping up, but sweat already beading up and running down the side of his face after a few minutes. Even though she was matching her earlier pace, time seemed to stretch out ahead of her. Those last three miles lasted forever and as she rounded the last corner, she saw the first spray of pink lighten the eastern sky, even though the sun was still a long time coming. To her side, Sam was breathing heavily beside her, and she slowed her pace for the last half mile. When they finally exited the path, they dropped to a fast walk, and after a block or so of silence, Sam put his hand on her shoulder. The look she gave him made him think better of it, and her removed it and cleared his throat.

"Listen, I'm sorry, okay?"

She shrugged. "For what? Everything's fine." He reached across like her was going to put his hand on her shoulder and instead, snapped her ear buds out of her ears.

"Is that why you just tried to lose me back there?" She remained silent, unwilling to admit that she'd been hoping to. "Look, I'm sorry I forgot. And I'm sorry if you were embarrassed or something. But you didn't have to leave." She stopped abruptly, facing him.

"Sam, shit happens. You forgot. It's not the end of the world. I overreacted. Just call me next time so I don't waste part of my run coming to get you."

"Really nice."

"And I wasn't embarrassed. Surprised, but not embarrassed."

"Fine, you weren't embarrassed." His brow furrowed as she turned away and they started walking again.

Andy hadn't been embarrassed then, but she was now. But, it was more at her overreaction than finding Sam and his female friend fresh out of bed. She had completely frozen up and then she'd heard the blood pumping in her ears and had to get out of there. She knew she had acted ridiculous, and in this second, she was mortified. And now that her music was turned off and her legs had slowed down, other words and feeling were sneaking in. Number one was shock. A little anger and resentment. And though she would never admit it, in that moment, way down deep, she felt the tiniest burning spark of jealousy.

A month ago, at the corner they would have automatically turned left and gone to Swarek's, and he would have driven her back after picking up coffee. More recently, there would have been some discussion of breakfast, even if it was in vain. But this time without any warning, Andy turned right. He stopped when she didn't follow him, and turned, watching her walk away. He called after her, "McNally, are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she said over her shoulder without looking back. He stood there a few moments and then backed away, turning on the third step and jogging the last block home.

* * *

><p>That day, she had desk duty with Traci again. The other rookies were working with Shaw and Williams doing something that had to be far more interested than pushing paper all day. She had given up on the concept of normalcy about twenty minutes into her shift, when Swarek had sidled up to the counter, with that all too familiar inquisitive look on his face. Before he could get the words out, she held up a hand and said, "We're fine. Don't make a big deal out of it." He held up his hands in front of him in defeat and turned on his heel and left the station.<p>

"And what the hell was that about?" Andy looked over at Traci.

"Believe it or not, I don't want to talk about it."

"I don't care if you want to talk about it. I want to know." Traci raised her eyebrows when Andy hesitated. "You might as well tell me, since you know I'll find out eventually."

Andy rolled her eyes and slumped back in her chair, twisting a pen between her fingers. "I went over to Swarek's this morning, and he apparently was too busy last night to remember to set an alarm."

"You mean…?"

"I mean he answered the door wearing a sheet, and his girlfriend came out in nothing but his T-shirt."

Traci laughed. "That's great. Was the look on your face then the same as the look on your face now?" Andy threw the pen at her. "Well? What was she like?"

"I didn't exactly stick around to chat, Trace. It was kind of an awkward situation."

"What did she look like?" Andy crossed her arms on the desk and laid her head on them.

"Blonde, shorter than him, pretty."

"Really pretty?"

Andy sat up again and started sorting the piles of paperwork in front of her. "Yes."

Traci looked at Andy's stiff posture and raised an eyebrow. She turned to the desk, opening a file. "So what happened?"

Andy shrugged. "I left. Went running on the trail. I did 6 miles today." She grinned proudly.

"Yeah, I don't care about that."

"Nothing happened. Swarek found me after I'd finished half my run and we talked for a while. He probably thinks I'm a crazy person."

"Because you freaked out?"

"I wouldn't call it freaking out, exactly." Traci snorted.

"You did. You freaked out."

They stayed busy during the day, which is why Andy didn't immediately recognize her when she walked up to the counter. She stood up and walked around the desk to the counter to greet her.

"Can I help you?" The woman was an inch or two shorter than her, with thick blonde hair that fell to the middle of her back in tangled waves. Her eyes were the brightest green Andy had ever seen, and her skin was peppered with a light spattering of freckles. She was wearing a thigh-length jacket of the softest looking leather Andy had ever seen and she smelled of coffee and vanilla.

"Hi, we almost met earlier this morning? I'm Kate Reynolds. Remember? Partially clothed on the porch?" She held out her hand and Andy reached for it automatically. As the words came together in her head, she froze, a look of shock on her face.

"Yeah, uh nice to meet you. Um, Sam isn't here. I think he's out on patrol." She pulled her hand back quickly and crossed her arms tight over her chest. She looked at Traci who was doing her best to look uninterested while eavesdropping.

"Actually, I came to talk to you." Kate folded her arms on top of the counter and smiled.

"Did you want to report a crime, or file a restraining order or something?"

Kate laughed, her smile wide and natural. "Actually I was going to invite you to dinner. At Sam's. Tonight, if you're free." Andy's mouth dropped open and she instinctively took half a step back.

"Actually I think Traci and I…" She looked at Traci who was leaning back in her chair trying not to smile. "I think we have plans."

"No we don't." Traci smiled and Andy gave her an irritated look.

"I thought you needed help with that _thing_." Andy widened her eyes, trying to get Traci to take the hint.

"No, I took care of it."

"Andy listen," Kate began. "I think you'll find that I can be very persistent. I know you and Sam are good friends and what happened this morning was…awkward. But I think if we just sit down, get to know each other, then there won't be this thing hanging over us, and I'm a good cook. Great baker, but only a good cook. At the very least, you could walk away hating me, but be extremely well fed."

"Does he know you're here?"

"Yes he does. And he looked as on edge as you do right now when I suggested it to him." She gestured at Traci. "You can bring your friend if you think you'll be more comfortable."

Andy looked over at Traci. "I think she's busy."

"No I'm not." Traci practically leaped out of her chair and reached out to shake Kate's hand. "Traci Nash. Nice to meet you." Kate shook her hand and smiled again.

"So I'll see you guys tonight. Sam said you get off around 7 today if you don't get pulled into something, right? So we'll see you two at his place sometime between 7 and 8." She fished her keys out of her pocket and waved, turning around and leaving the station as quickly as she arrived.

"Wow," Traci said as she fell back into her chair.

"Yeah." Andy exhaled audibly, and sank slowly into her chair. "She was…."

"Gorgeous?"

Andy turned to look at her, eyes narrowed. "Thanks, by the way, for helping me out there. I really appreciate it," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Traci gave a satisfied smile and picked up the phone. "Anytime."


	5. Chapter 5

**Note: Check my profile for more notes about this story. I like to read long books, and as a result, I write long stories. With lots of dialogue. It's a flaw.**

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><p>"So is there a plan we're supposed to be following?" They were in Traci's car at 7:45, sitting parked across the street from Sam's house. Andy was peeping out the car window, trying to catch a glimpse of people inside the house.<p>

"Not that I know of."

"In that case, are you going to be nice to her?"

Andy looked at her incredulous. "Of course I'm going to be nice to her. I'm nice to everyone. Well, mostly."

Traci looked at her with her eyes wide, speaking slowly. "Because you and Swarek are _friends_, and you want him to be happy, right?" Andy nodded absently. "And we're going to just ignore the fact that you're out of your mind with jealousy." Andy looked at her, irritated.

"Traci, I'm not. It's fine. Everything is going to be fine."

"Yeah, you keep saying that," she replied skeptically.

They got out of the car and walked quickly up the front steps. Sam answered the door at the first knock.

"McNally, Nash, c'mon in." He held the door open and they followed him in. Andy smiled at Kate sitting on the couch and headed straight for the kitchen. After removing a bottle, she put the rest of a six pack of beer in the refrigerator. When she returned to the living room, she found the three of them making small talk about how work had been. Andy sat in an armchair next to the couch and wound her fingers together so she wouldn't tap them and raised her eyebrows at Traci.

Sam started walking toward the kitchen. "You two want anything to drink?" Andy held up her beer and then twisted off the top, taking a long drink. Traci sat on the end of the couch nearest to Andy and leaned over.

"You might want to pace yourself," she whispered. To Swarek, she said, "I'll just have whatever you guys are having."

He nodded. "Beer all around then."

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><p>Because Sam's kitchen table was on the small side, they ate in the living room; their plates perched on knees or the coffee table. Kate had made lasagna, salad, and fresh bread. As they ate, Andy began to relax. As long as she had something to do, to take her mind off the current situation, she was alright. Kate did her best to draw her out, asking her questions about being a rookie and about her boyfriend. She told stories about what it was like to travel to New Zealand, Thailand and South Africa and after a while, Andy actually began to enjoy herself.<p>

She got up once to use the restroom, and on her way back, met Sam in the hall. He was standing there, looking at one of the black and white prints that hung on his wall. As he heard her, he turned and whispered.

"This is a little awkward, right?"

"You think?" He smirked, and she backpedaled a little. "No, actually, it's not that bad. I'm not used to this kind of formal dining in this house, but it's good."

"I didn't actually think she'd get you here."

"Yeah, well she didn't exactly give me much of a choice." She grinned. "And I think Traci was too nosy to let the opportunity pass her by."

A long second of silence passed between them, and when Sam took a step to move past her, she stopped him by putting her hand on his upper arm, quickly removing it when he paused.

"And she's kind of…great," she conceded reluctantly.

He turned his head to look back into the living room. "She is, isn't she?" He nodded to himself and then turned back to enter the bathroom.

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><p>At one point, Traci leaned over to Kate and said, "This food is awesome." And it was. At first, because of her nerves, Andy had to force bites down, but as she relaxed, she had to admit that it was the best lasagna she'd ever had. And she had 2 thick slices of the herbed bread.<p>

"You know, Andy," Kate began after everyone was stuffed. "I used to run and I'm still pretty good friends with this guy who owns one of the running stores in town. He emailed me something the other day that I think you might be interested in." Andy looked up in interest, relaxing even more as a familiar topic came up. Kate reached into the pocket of her jeans and pulled out a piece of paper. She handed it to her and stood up, collecting plates.

Andy unfolded it. It was a flyer advertising a half marathon. Andy studied it carefully for a few minutes, tipping the paper so Traci could read it.

Kate returned from the kitchen and sat next to Sam who had his arm stretched along the back of the couch behind her. She leaned over the coffee table and pointed at the date on the paper.

"It's in the spring. That gives you about 5 months to train for it, which is way more than enough time, if you're as good as Sam says you are." Andy looked up at her, eyes flicking briefly to Sam's face. He was successfully not meeting her eyes. "There are also a few shorter races a few weeks before. A couple of 5K's and a 10K, in case you want to do a couple of practice races. And if you like it, I think there's a marathon a couple months later. You could consider this training for that, if you decide to do it."

"I don't know. I'm still kind of a novice. I've never really done anything like this." But for a second, it felt like every hair on the back of her neck stood up in anticipation.

"It you love running, this is the kind of thing you should try. And you're hardly a novice if you're already running five or six miles a day."

Andy cleared her throat. "Actually, I've been doing 5 miles four mornings a week, but sometimes I do an extra few at night too."

"You never told me that." Sam had a look on his face that was halfway between surprise and confusion.

"You never asked." She looked at him, her face blank. "Besides, it's no big deal."

"Yeah it is. You're running what, eight miles a day?"

She shook her head. "Not every day. Just a couple times a week."

"Well, make sure you're not pushing too hard. If you got a stress fracture you'd be on desk duty for weeks, if not longer."

She looked at him. "I'm okay. I take days off, and I don't run very hard at night anyway."

Kate stood up again. "I think I'm going to get dessert ready."

Andy looked down at the half marathon flyer again. Just over thirteen miles. Completely doable. She spread the flyer on the coffee table and leaned over, looking at Sam. "I think we could really do this. It could be really great. Do you want to start training tomorrow? Or should we wait until Monday, make it all official?"

He leaned forward, elbows on his knees and she saw him hesitate.

"What?"

"Andy, I don't think I have time to train for something like this." She stared at him, confused.

Traci watched them for a second, eyes looking from one person to the other rapidly before she got up. "I think I'll help Kate with the dessert." Traci walked quickly to the kitchen, looking over her shoulder at them the whole way.

"Sam, you have the same amount of free time that I have. We can totally do this."

His voice dropped to half volume. "Actually, I don't. This kind of training, bumping your runs up to ten, twelve miles, it takes time. My time off is filling up fast," his eyes flicked to Kate who was cutting slices of the tallest chocolate cake Andy had ever seen.

"Oh." She paused and then folded up the flyer and stuck it in her back pocket.

"I still want to help you train."

"No, I get it. I guess I just thought that since I started with you… But no big deal."

"I still want to run with you in the mornings."

"We'll work it out once I nail down my training schedule I guess." She shrugged. "Luke runs a little. Maybe he'd like to do it." He reached out to put his hand on her shoulder and she stood up, brushing him off. "I'm going to use the rest room. I'll be back in a minute."

* * *

><p>They left soon after the chocolate cake was served. Andy ate her piece quickly in virtual silence, washing each bite down with a sip of beer. Sam was also conspicuously quiet. He kept trying to catch Andy's eye, but she avoided his eyes, and kept her attention on the cake or on Kate or Traci when they were speaking to her. As they put on their coats and were walking out the door, Sam caught her elbow in his hand.<p>

"I'll see you tomorrow morning?"

Andy paused for a second. "I think I'm going to take a rest day. Maybe take the hour to research training plans."

"Let me know what you find. I was serious when I said I would help."

She nodded, not quiet meeting his eye. "I know. I'll see you at work tomorrow." She ran down the stairs, and walked quickly to Traci's car.

* * *

><p>She was holding back angry tears as she walked in the door at home, kicking her shoes off so forcefully they hit the wall. She tossed her jacket at the coat rack, not retrieving it as it slid to the floor. Luke looked up with raised eyebrows as she walked into the living room. He was sitting on one end of the sofa and he started piling up the papers he'd been looking at. She sat down, leaning into him and exhaled loudly. As he put his arm around her, she looked up at him.<p>

"You want to train for a half marathon?"

"Not even a little bit." He smiled and kissed her forehead.

"Yeah," she patted his chest. "I didn't think so."

* * *

><p>The next morning, they were driving to work Luke looked over at Andy. She was sipping at her coffee, drumming her fingernails against the passenger side window. She looked lost in thought.<p>

"Can I ask you something without you getting weird on me?"

She turned to look at him. "What's that?"

"Why isn't Swarek running this race with you?" Andy shrugged and looked out the window.

"He said he was too busy."

"Well, it _is_ going to take up a lot of your time. I had a buddy who ran this race a few years ago, and he trained almost every day. The days he didn't run, he was cross training and lifting. Are you sure _you_ have the time to train for it?" He sounded concerned and she turned toward him again.

"This is something I really love. And if I can turn it into something even greater than it already is I think I should. And now that I'm doing it by myself, I'll just have to work extra hard. I'll find the time."

"What about Traci, or Diaz, or…"

"Traci already said no. I can't expect her to spend any more time away from her kid. Dov has asthma, and Chris would probably have to clear it with Gail first. Or he'd ask her to run with us, and I know we're getting along better, but honestly, I couldn't deal with that attitude first thing every morning." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "It's ok. I'll work it out."

"I'd run it with you, but I'm pretty sure you'd beat me and I don't think my ego could handle it." He grinned at her as he pulled into the parking lot.

"That's the lamest excuse I've ever heard." She flashed a smile at him, and got out of the car.

* * *

><p>After parade, Andy waited for Sam at the cruiser. He came walking up with two coffees. As he pressed one into her hand, she smirked.<p>

"Trying to buy my love?"

He laughed shortly. "I hope you'd charge more than a cup of coffee, McNally." She colored slightly and got into the car.

They'd been driving for only a few minutes when he broached the topic from the previous night. "Did you want to talk about…"

"Not really."

"Okay." A few more minutes of uncomfortable silence passed and Andy drank her coffee.

Sam tried again. "So, is Callaghan going to do the half?"

"No, I don't think he actually _likes_ running all that much. Just does it to stay in shape, you know? His eyes always seem to glaze over a little when I talk about it." There was a little sadness in her voice.

"Well, I'm glad you like it. That you could find something that interests you, I mean."

"Yeah, thanks for that."

"I don't think I have that much to do with it."

She turned her head and looked at him. "Yeah, you do," she said quietly.

He cleared his throat. "Well, if you want someone to time you during speed runs, you know where I live."

"And next time, I promise I'll call first," she said.

He laughed menacingly. "Don't try to bait me, McNally. I'm not in the mood."

"No, really. I should have called," she said innocently. "It's the polite thing to do."

Sam swore under his breath and pulled the car over, throwing it into park.

He turned in his seat and looked at her. "McNally, you don't have to call. You've never called before."

"But things are different now." She sat drumming her fingernails against the door, avoiding his eyes.

"No, they're not."

She looked at him, eyes narrowed. "Then explain something to me. This race is something you would have jumped at two months ago. I don't get it."

"I thought you didn't want to talk about it."

"Screw that. Let's talk." She turned in her seat so they were both turned towards each other. "I know it's not just Kate. You have been avoiding me like the plague for a long time now." Andy was gesturing wildly. "If we didn't have to ride together, you probably would have blown me off a long time ago. You'd have found some excuse and I would be running by myself in the mornings. So don't put this all on her."

Sam's expression was frosty. "It's nice to know you think so much of my character."

"Well, it appears to be in your character to dodge your friends at every opportunity."

He opened his mouth, ready to yell, but a call came over the radio. Staring angrily at her, he grabbed the handset and snarled into it. "1505. Ten four."

He turned back to the wheel and pulled the car out. A few seconds passed before he said tightly, "Don't think this conversation is over."

"Wouldn't dream of it."

* * *

><p>That night, Andy went to the Penny. She was tired. Luke said he had some errands to run and she didn't feel like tagging along. But after the tense day she'd had, she felt like a drink. <em>Two nights in a row, McNally. Good training strategy.<em> She tossed back the rest of her drink. She and Swarek had sniped at each other for hours until they went back to the station for lunch. He decided he'd had enough of her temper and traded her to Williams for Diaz for the rest of the shift. Traci sat next to her, back to the bar, watching people mill around.

"Ready to go yet?"

Andy turned her empty glass around and around on the bar. "Not yet." The music was loud, which was a blessing, because it prevented serious conversation.

"Oh God. Incoming." Andy looked up as Traci turned on her stool away from the direction of the door. Sam walked in, Kate following, her hand tucked into his, smiles on both their faces. He pulled her over to the table where Jerry and Oliver were sitting, and made introductions.

"Perfect." Andy threw some money on the bar to cover her drink and stood up, shoving the rest in her pocket. "Let's get the hell out of here."

"Hold on. She's coming over," Traci hissed.

"What?" Andy spun around angrily to face Traci and came face to face with Kate.

"Andy. Hi. I was just wondering if you wanted to sit with us." Andy glanced over her shoulder at Sam. He was bent over, hands braced on Jerry and Oliver's table. They were all talking, but his eyes landed on her and his expression turned dark.

She turned back to Kate. "I'd love to, but Traci and I were just leaving."

Kate actually looked disappointed. "Oh, no problem. It's just that I don't know anyone else here, and I'm kind of nervous about meeting the rest of Sam's friends."

"I'm really sorry, but I need to go. I had kind of a rough day. I'll walk you back though." But to do that, and then successfully get to the door, she had to pass by Swarek. She side-stepped Kate, walking quickly in front of her. He stepped away from the table as Kate sat down and met Andy at the door.

"Nash," he said, without looking at her. "Can you go sit with Kate for a few minutes? McNally and I need to talk." Andy gave Traci a pleading look but Traci held up her hands and went back to Kate.

"Outside, McNally."

Andy stalked outside. As soon as she heard the door bang shut behind them, she whirled on him.

"You had no right to drag me out of there like a child."

"Then maybe you should quit acting like one."

"Excuse me?"

"I think you heard me."

Andy put her hands on her hips and glared at him. "Honestly, Sam, if 'child' is the worst you can do, I think I'm going to win this name-calling contest."

"For some reason that I cannot understand right now, she was actually happy to see you. And she was really nervous about coming here tonight. It wouldn't have killed you to be nice. You practically ran away from her."

Andy laughed bitterly. "Of course. Defending her honor." She spun around to face him. "Don't you even remember that _we_ have unfinished business?"

"Don't push me tonight, McNally. I've put up with a hell of a lot from you today." They circled each other slowly.

"Considering that we've talked more today than we have in the last two weeks, I can't find it in my heart to surrender."

"Fine." He threw his hands wide, and grinned dangerously. "Let's have it. Want to start by insulting my character again?"

She put her hands on her hips. "I wouldn't even know where to begin."

"Well, let's start with you acting like a lunatic." The door swung open behind Andy and Sam pointed angrily. "Back inside, Nash," he barked. Traci turned around and the door slammed shut behind her.

"Maybe I wouldn't be acting like a crazy person if you would just tell me once and for all that you don't want to hang out anymore. You don't want to have any sort of conversation anymore. Quit making excuses every time I ask. Just flat out say it, and I'll stop."

"If I didn't want to, I'd let you know."

"Well, so far, you haven't been very forthright." She nervously ran her hand over the length of her ponytail. She started backing away towards the bar, but couldn't resist one more. "You know, I would never have thought you'd be the kind of guy who would just bail on his friends as soon as he meets someone new."

"I feel like an asshole for asking this, but why do you even care?" he asked, sounded defeated and exhausted. "I mean, your life is pretty full. Happy little life with your boyfriend and his big house. Happy little circle of friends." He shoved his hands in his pockets and looked at her. "Why do you care?"

Andy pursed her lips and looked around sheepishly, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "I guess I'm a little bit jealous," she said softly.

He closed his eyes for a few seconds and then looked at her. He didn't know what he'd been expecting, but it hadn't been that. "Are you jealous because we aren't spending time together lately or are you jealous because I'm seeing Kate?" he demanded quietly.

She paused and bit her lip, and then spoke slowly, almost carefully. "I think it's a little of both."

"You think," Sam repeated. He stepped in close to her, his chest brushing at the open lapel of her jacket. He breathed shallowly, looking down at her intently. "Are you still with Callaghan?" he asked, his voice rough with emotion.

"Yes," she whispered.

"Are you going to be with him tomorrow?" She looked away guiltily. He looked up at the sky in exasperation, turning away from her.

"Then you have no _right_ to be jealous," he yelled into the empty street, throwing up his hands. "You're living together. You wouldn't have shacked up with the guy if you hadn't thought it would be long term. You can't expect me to wait for you any longer. You can't expect me to wait for you to change your mind."

"Hold on a second," she said loudly. "Wait for me? Up until recently, it was against the rules for anything to happen between us."

"That didn't stop you from coming to my house that night. If you'd really wanted anything to happen after that, I'm sure you wouldn't have let a rule stand in the way." He stalked away, towards the door.

"We're friends," she said quietly. "I thought," she shook her head. "I thought we were past that. It wasn't an issue anymore."

"If you thought we were past it, then why are you jealous?" he threw over his shoulder. She said nothing and he turned around.

He ran both hands through his hair roughly, making it stick up. "You two could be together months, or years. Decades even, if you get married. I can't sit on the sidelines for decades, Andy." She looked up at him, her arms crossed defensively. "I'm a patient guy. I've waited a long time, but I can't wait that long. I'm tired. I'm tired of going home every night to an empty house, of waking up alone every morning. I'm lonely." He stepped up closer to her, and his voice lowered to almost a whisper. "It's not fair, McNally. You can't go home to him every night and still expect me to drop everything for you. I deserve to be with someone who wants me all the time."

"And she's does? You've barely known her a couple of months!" He shook his head slightly, and closed the distance between them, leaving only inches of space.

"But I should get the _chance_ to know her." He brought his hand up, settled his open palm on her shoulder, underneath the gaping collar of her jacket. At the touch of her skin, his eyes darkened and his voice dropped to a husky whisper. His hand slid up the side of her neck, cradling her jaw. "I'm the one who should be jealous. I _have_ been jealous. He gets to touch you here." He took the lock of her hair and smoothed his thumb against it. She sucked in a trembling breath. "He gets to roll over in the middle of the night and know that you're lying there next time him." She closed her eyes and a tear fell over her lashes onto her cheek. "And every day, I've been jealous. Because the way I feel, it's…" He drew in a shaky breath and tipped his head up to the sky momentarily, gathering his thoughts. He dropped his hands and stepped back. "What I feel doesn't matter, because it's cheapened. It's been one-sided and I'm sick of it." He paused, rubbing a hand over the back of his neck. "So we're going to take some time." Andy sank down on the bumper of Traci's car and wiped at her cheeks with the back of her hand. Fifteen feet away, Sam sat heavily on the single step leading up to the door.

"I think I'm going to talk to Frank and have us temporarily reassigned to new partners," he said after a while. She looked up in surprise.

"Do you really think that's necessary?" she asked her voice thick with unshed tears.

He nodded, pressing his lips together tightly. "I think today was proof enough that we need some time apart." He folded his arms on top of his knees, and rested his chin on top of his arms.

"How long?"

"A few weeks, a month. Maybe longer."

"It's not like we're going to be able to avoid each other." He nodded, distractedly.

"We've done a pretty good job of it until today. I think we'll be able to manage." They sat there quietly for a minute or two. Andy's throat was sore from yelling and from trying not to cry. She risked a glance over at Sam. His face was haggard, and his breathing was labored. "People who fight like we do probably have no business being together anyway," he said as an afterthought. "We'd eat each other alive within a month." He stood up and walked back to the door. Without turning to look at her, he said, "I'll send Nash out." And he opened up the door and stepped into the noisy bar, letting the door swing shut behind him.

* * *

><p>Andy walked into her dark house, twenty minutes later. She bent down, untied her shoes, let her jacket fall off her shoulders onto the floor and shuffled into the kitchen. She pulled a bottle of water from the refrigerator and in the soft glow, saw something sitting on the table. She ran her hands up and down the wall until her fingers hit the switch. On the table was a short stack of books. There was a book on injury prevention, training for half marathons and marathons, a training log, and just a general info book on running. Next to the stack was a brand new stop watch, a few reflective patches to sew on to her jacket, and a $50 iTunes card. There were also business cards for three running stores in town. Propped up against the stack of books, there was a note written on an index card.<p>

_I'm sorry you had a bad day. Hope this helps._

_Love, Luke_

Waves of guilt flooded through Andy and went to the bathroom. Tears were falling unchecked down her face and she stared at herself in the mirror. After a few minutes of muffled crying, she sucked in a few breaths and splashed some water on her face. After wiping off the running mascara, she dabbed at her eyes one more time with a towel and then went back to the kitchen. Knowing she wouldn't be sleeping anytime soon, she snagged the book about training for races and grabbed a blanket. She wrapped it around herself and stepped out onto the balcony. She wedged herself carefully into one of the deck chairs, tucking the blanket around her feet and opened the book to the first page.

* * *

><p><strong>To be continued...<strong>


	6. Chapter 6

**Note: I'm pushing these chapters through as quickly as humanly possible, I swear.**

**Thanks again for all the reviews. I love every single one of them!**

**I had to pump some of my cop friends for some info for this chapter, so I hope it was worth it :)**

* * *

><p>At 5 AM Monday morning, Andy's alarm went off. She rolled over and hit the button and opened one sleepy eye. Luke was breathing deeply on the other side of the bed. She'd lazed around all weekend, telling herself that on Monday she'd run again. On this particular morning, Andy could think of more reasons to stay in bed than to go running and so she stayed in bed. She flipped over and pulled the covers over her head, and fell back to sleep.<p>

Later that morning, she was perched on the edge of a desk watching Swarek and Best go at it in the office. They'd been in there nearly ten minutes and parade was supposed to start soon. Neither one of them looked especially happy. She was pouring herself a cup of coffee when the door banged open.  
>"McNally. Get in here," Best barked. She set the coffee down, half full, and walked briskly to the office.<p>

When she entered, Sam was perched on the window ledge, arms crossed angrily over his chest and Frank was tipped back in his desk chair, looking annoyed.

"McNally, it has come to my attention that you and your partner are having irreconcilable differences. Do I look like a divorce lawyer to you?"

"No sir."

"What is your opinion on this situation?" Her mouth was dry and against her will, her gaze cut to Swarek who was busy avoiding her eyes.

"We're having some communication problems, I guess."

"And what do you think we should do about this?"

She looked at Swarek again, this time with a little ire. "It was suggested that we request time with new partners."

"Well, here's what normally happens in a situation like this. If you don't think this is something that can be worked out, my first move is to change one of your schedules. It means working with a whole new crew of people, having to learn their personalities and techniques. You may not fit in with that shift and I may have to move you again. This whole process takes an unbelievable amount of time. You two have proven to me numerous times that your partnership is beneficial not only to this division but to both of you personally." He put his elbows up on the desk and folded his hands while he looked at them.

"Now, I'm willing to separate you; give you time to cool down and gather some perspective. But if you think for even a second that this time would be better spent acclimating to a new schedule, you'd better tell me now. If at the end of this cooling off period, you find that you are still unable to cooperate, then one of you will be making a permanent move."

Neither of them said a word.

"McNally? Thoughts?"

She kept her eyes forward. "A cooling off period is fine with me."

"Swarek?"

"How long?" he asked.

"You have two weeks."

"I think we need more time," Sam insisted, standing up. Her self-control dissolved and Andy turned, fixing him with a furious stare.

"No," Best argued. "This is a busy division. We don't have time for this kind of distraction. You don't have to like each other. You just need to cool down enough to be capable of working together without screaming at each other. If you don't think you'll be able to fix this in two weeks, I'll start signing paperwork now." He looked between the two of them. Andy and Sam were standing as far apart as humanly possible in the office. He was up against the wall with the windows, and she had unconsciously moved across the room, putting as much space between them as she could. "McNally?"

"Two weeks is fine."

"Swarek?"

"I guess it'll have to be," he smiled unhappily.

"Don't push me. I've had enough of this crap for the morning. By the way? I'm not going to make this enjoyable for either of you. Now get out."

* * *

><p>During parade, Best was discussing the day's upcoming work and Andy was sitting silently, trying to keep her mind on the assignments and not on how much she wanted to go home and go back to bed. She started to come back to life when he started giving out assignments. In a matter of minutes, he'd assigned everyone but Chris, Andy and Sam.<p>

"Diaz. This happens to be your lucky day." Chris had a very nervous smile on his face. "I talked to a friend of mine over in Traffic Division and we decided on a very special assignment for you. You'll be working with Parking Enforcement today. Have fun writing tickets." The smile disappeared instantly, and there were hoots and laughter from the senior officers in the back of the room. Andy smirked. "McNally, you're with Diaz." Her head snapped back to the front of the room and Frank gave her a satisfied smile.

"Which brings us to Swarek." Everyone turned in their seat to glance toward the back of the room. "Swarek, you will be in Booking."

The grin dropped off his face and Sam stared at him. "Come on."

Frank shook his head and smiled the same smug smile. "Booking, Swarek. For the rest of the week."

* * *

><p>Andy and Chris walked out of parade together and she gave him a curious look. "So, I know what I did, but what did <em>you<em> do?"

"What?" He did his best to look innocent.

"Chris, we're writing parking tickets. What did you do?"

"Hey, somebody has to do it."

"Yeah, they're called meter maids. Now tell me."

He looked around to make sure no one was listening. "I was distracted and I tapped his bumper in the parking lot this morning." Andy raised her eyebrows and nodded, swinging her bag over her shoulder and walking to the door.

"I guess it could be worse then."

They walked out to the parking lot to the car and Chris glanced back at her. "So what did you do?"

"Apparently, I pissed him off after some guy hit his car this morning."

"Very funny."

* * *

><p>Sam finished up with work that day and went straight home. He'd processed suspects all day. Taking personal information and making background checks, fingerprinting, confiscation of personal property. And on and on. The monotony was deadening. All day, he ached to get out of the station. He'd been expecting that at some point during the day that a feeling of relief would hit him; that the separation would somehow calm the storm inside him. He'd been expecting something. Anything. Some sort of sign that this was the right decision. But he was just angry. He was mad at Andy, at Frank, at every single person who'd come through Booking today. But mostly he was mad at himself, because as necessary as he thought this situation was, the one thing he <em>did<em> feel was doubt.

He stood in his empty house, looking around distractedly at the darkened rooms. Finally he went into his room to change. He came back out and put on his shoes and headed out the door, setting off at a run for Kate's apartment.

Twenty minutes later, was sitting in her kitchen drinking coffee, watching her stir something on the stovetop.

"I don't really know what you expected," she said to him, after he'd complained about his day. "He can't just rearrange the entire staff without any explanation, just because two of his employees had a falling out. And I don't know what you and Andy fought about, but it seems like things would be a whole lot better if you two would just get over it."

He laughed. "You really just say everything you're thinking, don't you."

She smiled. "It's a lot easier than trying to hold it all in."

"Well, trust me. 'Getting over it' is not as easy as it sounds."

"Why don't you tell me about it," Kate suggested. She sat down across from him and dunked a cookie in her coffee.

He closed his eyes and shook his head. "I'm tired of thinking about it."

"Yeah, well after two weeks of cooling off and having to break in new partners, you'll be begging to work together again. I'm not worried."

"If I'm not stuck in Booking for the next two weeks, you mean." He frowned and took a sip of his coffee.

She took the coffee cup from his hand and stood up. Moving around to his side of the table, she bent down and kissed the top of his head, smoothing his hair after. "Go finish your run. Things might be clearer later."

* * *

><p>Andy was restless. All day, people had been in her face complaining about receiving tickets, and arguing with her and she'd had it. She didn't want to talk to anyone, and she didn't want to think about anything. And so when she got home, she kept herself busy. Which is why she was currently in the kitchen, cleaning out the refrigerator. She'd already swamped out Luke's car, done the dishes, cleaned the toilet and scrubbed out the tub. After she was done with the refrigerator, she had plans for her closet.<p>

Luke walked in from the living room where he'd been reading through some files and looked in mild annoyance at the random jars and bottles and containers of leftovers strewn all over the kitchen.

"Andy, it's nine o'clock. What are you doing?" She sat back on her heels and looked at him.

"Something spilled inside here. It was all sticky." He leaned against the counter and looked back at her.

"So why didn't you just wipe up the spill instead of emptying the fridge?"

She shrugged. "It needed to be cleaned. Don't worry. It's no trouble."

"I'm not worried about the trouble. I'm worried about you. What's going on with you?" She shrugged again.

"I'm great."

"You skipped your run this morning." She stuck her head back in and started bleaching out the drawers. "In fact, you haven't been out in three days."

"I haven't felt like it."

"Well, you don't always feel like it, but you always go." Sighing heavily, she sat back again and hesitated before looking at him.

She opened her mouth to say something, but she couldn't think of how to explain it the situation without making herself look bad. Luke rolled his eyes and went to the hallway and picked up her shoes. He put them on the floor in front of her.

"Put all this stuff back and go. You'll feel better."

* * *

><p>Sam headed for the park. He hadn't run at night since the summer; before Andy started going with him. He was only going to do one quick loop and then head for home. His heart just wasn't in it. It felt like every step he took was a struggle, and he wasn't settling into a comfortable rhythm. He tried to distract himself by scanning the park, watching the shadows. Which is why he didn't see Andy coming until they were almost right on top of each other.<p>

"Unbelievable," he grumbled, running a hand over his face.

Andy jerked to a stop in front of him and pulled her ear buds out.

"What?"

"I said it was unbelievable."

She scowled and moved to run around him. "Believe it," she replied, sharply.

For a second he just watched her go, and then the doubt returned and settled in. Unable to help himself, he called after her. "Andy, we'll get past this."

"Well, we're not past it yet," she shouted over her shoulder and picked up her pace.

* * *

><p>The rest of the week was about the same, stressful and full of avoidance on both their parts. After Luke's insistence, Andy took another look at her training schedule and sketched out a basic plan of attack. She resumed her morning runs. Instead of hitting the trail, she did a short run in the other direction, and two days later, she ran to work. She brought a few sets of clean clothing and stocked up on the toiletries she kept in her locker. She showered when she got there, and caught a ride home with Luke at the end of the night. This meant a little more sleep and also that her distance on her long run went up by three quarters of a mile. Her plan was to stay at this level of activity for a few weeks and then bump it up again. As long as she focused on her training, she wouldn't spend too much time worrying about other things.<p>

She was done writing tickets, but spent the remaining days of the first week alternating between the front desk and the impound lot. Since Frank was true to his word, and kept Sam in Booking all week, this meant she and Sam were constantly bumping into each other inside of the station. Their interactions had dwindled to nothing more than the most basic politeness; "excuse me," or "can you please sign this?" In short, it was the typical interaction of two coworkers who barely knew each other. But every day, her anger melted a little and by the end of the week, she was just left with a feeling of emptiness. At the time of their argument, she'd been enraged, in addition to the other emotions swirling inside her; now, she was just sad. She missed her friend.

* * *

><p>Best didn't let up on them until the following week when Swarek was placed with Peck, and Andy with Shaw. There had been a liquor store or convenience store robbery every Monday night for the last month. All were in the same 12 block radius and so there were several undercover cars out, each watching one of the remaining untouched stores.<p>

Swarek sat in the driver's seat silently. His eyes were trained on the store front, but he was tired. The hours seemed longer with no action, and he returned home exhausted every day. Although he was glad to be out on the street again, it didn't feel right. Peck stopped trying to make conversation a couple of hours before and was now trying to text without him knowing. At one point, he looked at her point blank while she was in the middle of one and she flushed and put her phone away. They were both dressed in civvies and their vests, and there were the remains of a dinner Swarek barely remembered sitting in a bag on the floor on Peck's side. All night, he'd been having a strange feeling. It was a feeling of apprehension. But it wasn't the same adrenaline-fueled excited apprehension he usually had during the middle of a big case. It felt more like nerves.

He saw two suspicious figures coming out of the alley and reached for the radio. He called in their position again, requesting backup. Then he and Peck exited the vehicle and walked quickly the entrance of the store, hands on the guns at their belts.

* * *

><p>Eight blocks away, Andy was sitting with Shaw. They were plowing their way through two pastrami sandwiches and watching the front of a different store.<p>

"I hear you're in training?"

Andy turned to him, her mouth full. "Hmm?"

"For the half marathon." He took a large bite of his sandwich and wiped his face with a napkin.

She chewed and swallowed. "Yeah, it's still like 5 months away, so I'm taking it easy."

"It's impressive. There are a couple of guys in the department that run it every year if you feel like training with someone."

"I'm doing okay by myself right now, but I'll keep it in mind."

They sat there for a few minutes, Andy finishing up her sandwich. She had resisted the impulse since they'd parked the car two hours ago, but found that in the silence, she just couldn't take it anymore.

"You know about our situation? Our argument?" she asked quietly.

He looked at her out of the corner of his eye. "I don't think we should be talking about it."

"I just wanted to ask…" She paused. "How is he?"

Shaw hesitated and then spoke. "He's okay." Andy took a deep breath.

"Is he happy?" she asked.

Shaw continued to stare out the windshield. "I think he _was_," he said raising his eyebrows at her. Andy frowned and said nothing.

Before she could say anything else, dispatch came over the radio calling for any available cars to respond to a request for backup. Andy picked up the handset and gave dispatch their call numbers, saying they were on their way. Shaw pulled the car out of the parking space and took off down the road. They were two blocks away from Swarek and Peck when a black sedan ran a red light and plowed straight into the side of their car.

* * *

><p>Swarek and Peck had to practically wrestle their collars into booking. They left them in a cell and Swarek was on his way to secure an interrogation room when he noticed the atmosphere in the station. There were less people in the room than he expected, but the ones remaining were caught up in a flurry of activity. As he walked into the room, several people rushed past him, including Callaghan. He was out the door before Sam had a chance to formulate a question. Frank had his coat on and was walking across the room toward the exit when Sam stopped him.<p>

"What the hell is going on here?"

"A car T-boned one of the surveillance vehicles. We've got to get the crime scene unit out and I have to get out there to supervise. A couple of squad cars have responded and there're already a couple of ambulances out there."

"Which car was it?"

Frank paused a second and said, "Shaw and McNally."

"I need to come with you."

"No, Swarek, you need to stay and get your suspects booked and into interrogation." He stepped closer and lowered his voice. "It wasn't high speed. They're both alive and conscious. Don't worry; I'll keep you posted."

"Frank, she's my partner."

"No, she's not. Not today." And he turned around and left Swarek standing there.

* * *

><p>Andy sat on the paper-covered examination table as she waited for the doctor. She tried to ignore the clock ticking closer and closer to midnight. Her head hurt, and all she wanted to do was go home. At least she got to put her own clothes back on, even if the collar of her shirt was covered in blood.<p>

She and Shaw had come in the second ambulance. She had a six centimeter laceration that started near the middle of her right eyebrow, and curved down over the side of her face toward her temple. They'd stitched that up as soon as she'd gotten there and then sent her down for scans. While she'd been waiting, a uniformed officer she didn't recognize came and took her statement. She called Luke on his cell and he had been on his way a half hour ago, but so far, she hadn't seen him.

The doctor knocked on the door and entered. "Look who I found."

Luke smiled worriedly as he followed the doctor in. He moved up to Andy and put an arm around her shoulder, squeezing her tight as he kissed the top of her head. "Sorry it took me so long. How's your head?"

"It hurts, but I think I'm okay."

"Actually you are, mostly," said the doctor. "It's a good thing you were in a cop car. These accidents are far more serious without the structural reinforcements." He paged through her chart and then walked up to look at her face. "This laceration and the bruising are very common injuries caused by the deployment of the side airbag. You have a very mild concussion from the force of the impact, but I'm going to let you go home. Your scans look good, no bleeding in the brain. You should start feeling better in a few hours. I'm going to give you an information sheet with symptoms to look for, a prescription for a very light painkiller for the headache and instructions for home care. You need to take a couple of days off work to rest and come back in a week to get those stitches looked at." He held his hands out. "Any questions?"

"I'm wondering about Oliver Shaw?"

The doctor nodded. "He's going to be fine. His injuries were a little more serious, but again, not uncommon considering the circumstances. We'll keep him here a few nights to monitor him, and then he'll be on his way home as well."

She exhaled, relieved. "Can I see him?" The doctor nodded. "I'm going to need some sort of work release form and some other stuff, too."

"You can stop and see the nurse on your way out. She'll take you to him and get you everything you need."

* * *

><p>It was after 1:30 by the time Sam got all finished up and had his suspects in a cell. The idea of trying to pass the job off onto someone else had been tempting, but he stuck it out, finally getting signed confessions from both. He left them in the hands of the night shift and walked out to his truck.<p>

Andy looked at the clock. 2:15 AM. She hit the button on the remote, switching the television off and got up and walked around the room, turning off the lights. She had come home, kicked her shoes off and basically fell into that chair, not moving a muscle until now. Luke was asleep, stretched out across the full length of the sofa. He tried to stay up to keep her company, but he'd passed out sometime in the last hour, snoring softly. She went into the kitchen and poured a glass of water from the pitcher. She drank the whole thing at once and then wandered into the bathroom.

Andy leaned over close to the mirror and slowly pulled the bandage off her wound, hissing in pain when it tugged a little at her skin. The black stitches stood out against the angry red flesh. The entire right side of her face was tender from hairline to jawbone. The skin was darkening in a large bruise around her temple and extending downward to her cheek bone. Her head hurt inside and out and she'd taken a pill an hour ago, but it didn't seem to be working. The fact that it was a million degrees in the house wasn't helping, either.

She walked to the front door, intending to just stand in the doorway. But as it swung open, she saw Sam sitting on the top step, holding his phone and his keys in his left hand. He looked over his shoulder at her, and without saying a word, Andy grabbed her hoodie off the coat rack and put it on. She shut the door behind her and went out to sit next to Sam.

They sat there wordless for a minute. Andy curled her now cold toes inside her socks and waited.

When he spoke, it was soft, his voice a little scratchy and hesitant. "I meant to be here earlier, but I had to stay to finish up."

"Yeah, I heard you and Gail did a great job. Congratulations."

He nodded distractedly and continued talking as if he hadn't heard her. "And then I got here, and didn't know if I should knock. I didn't know if you were asleep. So I sat down," he laughed a little to himself, "until I could figure out what to do. And I'm still sitting here."

"How long?"

He looked at his phone. "About a half hour." _More silence._

"McNally," he said finally.

"What?"

"Look at me." She turned her head to the right. Sam reached out, taking her chin in his hand and tilting her head towards the light to get a better look at her face. "How does it feel?" He tucked her hair behind her ear to see the full extent of the bruising and the stitches.

"It hurts. Pretty much all over. And I'm exhausted, so that doesn't help." She gave a small, shaky smile and turned her head out of his hand. "But I think it looks a lot worse than it feels. Or at least it will," she laughed nervously.

"What did the doctor say?"

"I have a mild concussion. And the bruising will only get worse, so I have that to look forward to. I'll be the only person at work with a rainbow-colored face. So I guess that's something." She looked at him again, pulling the cuffs of the sweatshirt down over her fingers. "Did you hear about Shaw?"

He shook his head. "All I heard from Frank was that you two were okay. At that point, I don't think he knew much."

She nodded. "Well, the car hit us on his side. His face pretty much looks like mine without the stitches, and he has a broken collarbone. There's a little head trauma from the impact. But I talked to him before I left the hospital. He seemed okay. They told him he'll be out of the station for a few weeks, on a desk for a while after that. He's thrilled, by the way."

"I can imagine. And the person who hit you?"

And shrugged and wrapped her arms around her knees, resting her chin on top. "She wasn't wearing her seatbelt. What I saw at the scene didn't look good. I know she had a pretty bad-looking head injury, and she wasn't conscious when they took her away. I haven't heard much else. Honestly, I don't even know if she's alive."

"When are they expecting you back to work?"

She looked up at him. "The doctor said a couple of days. Best said to take the rest of the week. In fact, he pretty much ordered me to stay home," she said wryly. "But I have to go back in tomorrow to read over my statement and the accident report and then fill out a mountain of paperwork. I'll probably be there most of the day."

They sat there for a few more moments before he spoke again. "I think I should probably get going." He stood up and started to walk away and then thought better of it. He turned around and looked at her sitting there.

"Andy," he began. She turned her head up to look at him and he took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "I came here because I had to see for myself that you were alright. But nothing has changed. We're still not okay."

She nodded. "I know."

"But we _will_ be."

She smiled faintly. "I know."

* * *

><p>Luke stood out on the deck and watched Andy and Swarek talk. He'd woken up with a start when he heard the click of the front door shutting. He'd walked into the hallway and looked out the window and spotted the silver truck parked across the street. And then, hating himself for every jealous step he took, he went out onto the shadowed deck to watch them.<p>

He couldn't hear what they were saying, but their body language was making him uneasy. They sat next to each other, hips close, shoulders nearly touching. As he took her face in his hands, she turned her entire body toward him and there was no hesitation in Andy's movement, no questionable flinch. It was a measure of unmistakable physical trust. And it gave him a sinking feeling in his stomach.


	7. Chapter 7

**Note: Does anyone else get a little sick to their stomach when they go to post a chapter? I must have gone to delete this thing half a dozen times. Anyway, thanks again for all the reviews. I am seriously addicted to them.**

* * *

><p>The morning after the accident, Andy slept until nine. She'd turned her alarm off before getting into bed next to Luke and fallen asleep almost instantly. She woke up alone, feeling stiff, and she sat up slowly as her head swam a little from the painkiller she'd taken the night before. She yawned as she walked toward the bathroom and flinched at the sight of her face in the mirror. The bruising had deepened a little to a dark purple and the area around the stitches looked a little more swollen than they had the night before. Even though she knew better, she pressed on the skin gently, wincing when the ache sharpened to a point.<p>

She took a shower and got dressed, and was brushing her teeth when she heard a pounding on the front door. She rinsed her mouth and toothbrush and walked to the door. She opened it to find Kate standing there with a large brown grocery sack.

"I'm so glad you're awake. I don't know what I would have done with this stuff if you didn't answer. I heard you had a busy night last night so I brought some stuff over. I didn't think you'd feel much like cooking or anything." She glanced at Andy's face for a moment. "It doesn't look that bad. The scar is kind of bad-ass." She walked past Andy into the house.

Andy followed her into the kitchen where she started unpacking. "Sorry this stuff isn't made fresh this morning, but I only heard about the accident a couple of hours ago, and didn't have time to get stuff in and out of the oven. The sandwiches were just put together though." She started pulling out food. A loaf of bread, a baker's box of cookies, half a dozen sandwiches, a bag of coffee and a box of tea. "I know you like the coffee but I didn't know if you would want that, so I also brought tea. Which do you want?"

Andy sunk into one of the kitchen chairs and yawned again, propping her head up with her hand. "I'll try the coffee, I guess."

Kate busied herself with the coffee, digging around in the drawer under the coffee pot for the filters and finally the sound of the dripping coffee filled the quiet room.

"Did you want something to eat? I can make you something or you can have some of this stuff." Even though she didn't really feel like it, Andy relented.

"A cookie sounds good."

Kate smiled and handed her the box. "I wasn't sure what you liked, so I grabbed three or four of everything. You'll probably be eating them for a month."

Andy said nothing, just picked one out of the box.

"Sorry to just bust in on you like this. I know you probably don't feel much like visitors, but as you probably figured out by now, I'm a little pushy." She grinned and Andy, in spite of her moodiness, found herself smiling back.

"The chocolate chip ones are delicious."

"The gingersnaps are my favorite." She looked over her shoulder. "Sounds like the coffee's done."

They sat there for about an hour, and Andy found that she was relaxing, much the same way she had at dinner that night. Kate had a presence about her; something that was fun and familiar and she seemed to have no fear or anxiety at all about sitting across from someone she barely knew.

"I know you're not really feeling up to it right now, but if you want, there's live music at this place down by my shop. Every Friday and Saturday this month. It's not a very classy place, but it's a good time. You and Luke should stop down sometime." She caught the slight change in Andy's expression. "Or not."

"I don't really think it'd be his kind of thing, but I'll ask. Plus, he and Sam aren't exactly friendly. Actually, right now, Sam and _I_ aren't that friendly. Also, I look like some kind of botched science experiment."

"Well, nothing lasts forever. You guys will get your shit figured out, and your face will go back to normal. It'll all work out." Kate smiled and stood up and put her coat on. "Well, I have to get back. My staff is pretty good, but sometimes the lunch rush is a little more than they can handle."

"Yeah, I have to run into the station sometime today. Not really looking forward to it."

"You might as well just get it over with. Besides, I'm sure everyone wants to see you." She walked to the door, bag slung over her shoulder. "Take care of yourself."

"You too. Thanks for the food. I really appreciate it."

* * *

><p>At the station, she sat at a table for hours, reading and rereading statements and accident reports. She filled out papers for HR, and talked to everyone from Best to the department shrink. By the time she was finished, she was more than ready to get out of there. Luke was nowhere to be found. She'd been keeping an eye out for him the whole time, but he was gone.<p>

That evening she returned to a dark house. When he came home after nine o'clock, she was awake and waiting for him. He walked in after hanging up his coat and she was sitting in a chair at the table, eating cookies and reading her training book.

"Hey stranger."

He frowned. "Hey."

"Where were you today?" She folded over the corner of the page and set the book down.

"Work. I had a lot of stuff to take care of."

"I was there all afternoon and I didn't see you."

"I had to go to a crime scene. I was there most of the day." He pulled a beer out of the fridge, opened it and leaned against the counter, taking a long drink.

She frowned at him. "What's wrong? You're being kind of…I don't know…weird."

He shook his head and sat down. "Where'd you get the cookies?"

"Swarek's girlfriend Kate brought them. She brought a bunch of other stuff too, if you're hungry."

"His girlfriend?" he asked skeptically.

"Yeah, she stopped by this morning. I think you'd like her. She actually invited us to go out with them sometime." The set of his shoulders was tense, and she put a hand on his arm. "Luke, what's wrong?"

"Andy," he began, cautiously. "I woke up last night on the sofa, and you were gone. Where were you?"

She looked at him. "Why?"

"Just tell me," he replied tersely.

A look of understanding passed over her face and she stood up, closing up the box of cookies. She picked up her glass of milk and finished it, placing it in the sink. "Judging by your tone and the expression on your face, you already know I was outside talking to Sam. So, is there something else you were fishing for?"

He watched her, waiting with eyebrows raised.

"Luke, if there's something you want to know, you're going to have to ask." There were dozens of questions that he wanted to ask, but at the last second, he held back.

"I just thought it was a little late for visitors, I guess."

She crossed her arms and leaned against the counter. "He worked late and he heard about the accident and wanted to see how I was. I wasn't asleep anyway. He didn't wake anyone up."

"He could have called."

She frowned. "What's the difference?"

"You just looked really…comfortable with each other."

"You have no idea what you're talking about."

"Then explain it to me."

Andy stared at him. "Swarek and I aren't even getting along right now. He was just worried."

"You were out there a long time for two people who aren't getting along." he asked.

"I guess I just needed someone to talk to."

"Andy, I was here with you. You could have talked to me. I tried to get you to talk to me, and I got nothing from you."

"I don't know what you want me to say. I needed time to process everything and then I went outside, and he was there, and it just all came out. It's no big deal."

"I think it is."

"Well, you're wrong. And honestly, it's not really any of your business." She met his eyes then, daring him.

"Andy, it _is_ my business. When people are in a relationship, they talk to each other; they trust each other. I just want to know what's going on with you. You're not exactly an open book these days."

"Luke, I am not keeping anything from you," she said slowly, feeling herself getting angrier with every passing second. "There are just some things I have to work out for myself. It has nothing to do with you. So just give me some space."

He blew out a breath and rubbed his eyes. "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure." She pushed away from the counter and walked out of the room. "My face is great, by the way. Thanks for asking."

* * *

><p>For the next day or so, Luke gave her a wide berth, but he stayed to have breakfast with her, and attempted to make conversation. She had to give him credit. He was really trying. He even tried to run with her on his day off. Her head felt a little better after a few days, and so she'd been running on the treadmill for short distances while he was at work. But the weekend rolled around and the weather got marginally nicer, and as she was lacing up her shoes, he showed up in sweats, with hat and gloves in hand, ready to leave with her. She'd had a little time to cool down, but she still wasn't convinced that it was a good idea.<p>

"I'm not sure how far I'm going today."

"Andy, I do 3 miles on the treadmill a few times a week."

"I usually go farther than that."

"Just give me a chance. I'm in pretty good shape."

"And running on the treadmill isn't really the same as running outside."

"Andy. I'm making an effort here." She looked at him. He really was kind of adorable; all eager in dark sweats and shoes that had never touched anything but the rubber belt of the treadmill. And she had to appreciate the effort he was making.

"Okay. But I want to do at least four."

"I'll keep up."

She wanted to do _more_ than four. She'd combined several training schedules she'd found and figured out something that she thought would work. _Or it _would_ work if stuff would quit distracting me_, she thought to herself. She would do one long run on the weekend, and a few shorter ones during the week. During some of the shorter ones, she would alternate a fast pace with an easy pace to get her speed up. This run was supposed to be a long one, but she could bump the long one to later in the week. With Luke, she decided it was best to keep it simple.

He did his best, really. But by mile 2, he looked exhausted. _He'd started off too quickly_, Andy suspected. She'd matched his pace, although it was a little faster than she liked. But her level of activity was leaps and bounds above his and so when he started to slow, she had finally settled into a decent rhythm. At 2.5, he had to slow to a walk, motioning for her to continue as he caught his breath. Not wanting to waste the weather, she did another half a mile before turning around to come back for him. By the time she reached him, he looked like he might be able to do some more and so he jogged slowly next to her until he couldn't anymore. From there they walked back home together.

* * *

><p>On her first day back, she had to fill out even more paperwork regarding her return after the accident. After lunch, she was in the car with Swarek, patrolling. Without intending to be, she was wary and stiff. The night he'd come to see her, they'd both been under a certain amount of stress and their walls had been down. He'd said that nothing had changed between them. If she hadn't been in that accident, he wouldn't have shown up, and she knew that. So today, in her mind, it was almost like it had never happened. And now she was anxious at the thought of spending the rest of the shift in close quarters with someone who'd barely said three words to her in the last two weeks.<p>

They were polite, trying to find some way to slide back into the familiar, but it wasn't happening. Every desperate silence made her think of the things he'd said to her that night at the Penny. And every time she looked at him, he flashed momentarily to times before they started having problems. They were having trouble shutting out the past and it was making it difficult to move on.

On the second day, the tension went up. They both knew that there were things floating just below the surface and however unwilling they were to address them, Andy knew it was only a matter of time.

And so on the third day, when the pressure inside her escalated to an almost unbearable degree, she finally said something.

"This isn't working for me."

"What isn't."

"This. Us. Us trying to pretend that things aren't extremely messed up between us."

He turned the corner, keeping his eyes forward. "Is that what we're doing?"

"I don't know. But I can't sit here anymore like this."

"Andy," he said in a quietly controlled voice. "It's just going to take some time."

"How is time going to help when you can't even look at me?"

He turned his head and met her eyes for a few seconds before turning back to the road.

"You know what I mean."

"If we talk about this now, can you promise me that we won't have to rehash it every single day?"

She nodded, biting her lip nervously. "If we can figure out some sort of compromise, we don't ever have to talk about it again."

"Alright, let's have it."

"I didn't actually have a plan for what I was going to say."

"C'mon McNally. This is the only chance you're going to get, so you might as well spit it out."

She sat quietly, looking out the window, trying to find the words. Finally she said, "I guess I want to say that I'm sorry." His eyes cut to her, questioningly. "I shouldn't have assumed that you'd just always just be there. I mean, you're an adult. Obviously, you're going to have a life. I was being selfish. And I'm sorry." She looked out the window, avoiding his stare. "I guess I just want everything to be normal again."

They drove in silence for a minute or two while Sam digested her apology.

"Andy," he said, his voice pained. "This…" he struggled for the word. "This _business_ between us, it can't go back to the way it was. The things we said, we can't take those things back. They're going to be here with us, every time we're together, and I just don't think I can pretend that they aren't. Trust me. I've tried. I've been trying for weeks."

"Try harder." He turned his head and they locked eyes momentarily and then he turned back. "We don't have to be best friends, again. I just want us to be comfortable. So try harder."

He thought about it nodded slowly. "Okay."

"We can just keep things neutral for a while. It doesn't have to get personal. We can leave those parts of our lives out of it."

He gave a short cynical laugh, raising his eyebrows. "Right."

"I can keep the details of my private life to myself," she maintained.

"I'll believe that when I see it."

"Fine. Let's just make a deal. From now on, we leave it at home."

"It's not going to work, McNally."

"Would you just agree already?"

"Fine," he said rolling his eyes.

They drove on silently for a few minutes.

"Was I really your best friend?" he asked, jokingly.

"Shut up."

* * *

><p>The next week was better. There was still tension, more stilted conversation and awkward pauses. But they were settling back into a rhythm. When they were taking calls, Andy could imagine that everything was returning to normal. Their working relationship hadn't suffered much. Sam could still read every thought that passed over Andy's face and she found that she could still predict his movements in a given situation. When it was just the two of them, and there were no uniforms, and no protocol to follow, things on her end started getting muddled. And so as far as she was concerned, the less alone time they had, the better.<p>

"_We have a robbery in progress."_ Andy and Sam were riding through the city early one evening when they heard the dispatch. He responded to the call and made a U-turn, speeding down the road.

"The jewelry store on the counter," Andy pointed. They parked the car and walked toward the store. Sam peered in the window. He nodded to Andy and they entered, guns drawn.

There were only three people inside; the owner and two of his staff. After quickly clearing both the show room and the back offices, Sam put away his gun.

One of the women pointed towards the back door. "He just ran out."

Sam nodded toward the door as he reached for his notepad. "McNally, go check it out."

She walked to the back of the store and poked her head out. About halfway down the alley, she saw a guy wearing jeans and a green jacket walking just a little faster than normal.

"Hey, stop," she yelled as she walked out the door. Without looking back, he took off. She hit the button on her radio and reported that she was in pursuit and ran after him. He ran down the alley for two blocks and then veered off through an abandoned lot. About four blocks into the chase, she noticed his pace flagging a little and picked it up. Snow was coming down in earnest and she had to work to avoid the slush puddles as she chased after him. As she rounded a corner, she caught a glimpse of him tossing something up into a dumpster. She finally tackled him in at the end of that alley five blocks away from the jewelry store. She sat up, a knee in his back and holding his wrists and radioed Sam to come pick them up.

The guy was struggling and so by the time Swarek pulled the car in, she had just gotten him cuffed and was checking his pockets. She found his wallet and pulled out his ID. "Lenny Williams, 26."

"Get off him, McNally." She stood up, pulling him up with her and handed him off to Sam. He put him into the back of the car.

"He didn't have anything on him."

"Yeah, the store clerk said she activated the silent alarm when he pulled the gun. They stalled him for a couple minutes, and he ran out when he heard the sirens. He didn't get anything. You've got to be pretty stupid or pretty desperate to try and rob a store like that in broad daylight. They have cameras everywhere."

"I vote for both." Andy rotated her left ankle, feeling a little twinge.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, it's nothing. I saw him throw something in the dumpster."

He smiled. "Then you'd better get in there and check it out."

"I ran him down. Maybe _you_ should go check it out."

"You caught him. Don't you want to keep all the glory for yourself?" He grinned.

"I don't think so."

"Wanna flip for it?" he suggested.

"Not really."

"Well that's the only chance you have of getting out of it, so you might as well."

She rolled her eyes and flung her hands out in exasperation. "Fine." As he smirked and dug in his pocket for a coin, she glared at him. "You know, sometimes you get that look on your face, like you think you're being funny or clever or something, but you're really just being an ass."

He laughed. "You're breaking my heart, McNally."

* * *

><p>Ten minutes later, trash bags had been flung over the side, and she was covered in old food scraps, what smelled like rotten fish and had some unidentifiable liquid soaking up into her pant legs. She had to work at it to keep from gagging and she held her breath, digging through the remaining trash, trying to make the task as short as possible. "Hey, give me a bag." He handed her an evidence bag and she reached down with a gloved hand, and picked up a gun that had sunk down between the garbage bags and into a puddle of sludge. She handed the bag over and as Swarek started walking away, she said "Aren't you going to help me out?"<p>

"Honestly, I don't really want to get anywhere near you right now." He grinned. "You climbed in; you can climb out." He walked over to the car to wait.

"Thanks," she shouted at him. "Really nice."

She got out, managing to smear something else disgusting across the front of her shirt and coat. Andy brushed frantically at her clothing, but only succeeded in making it worse. She climbed in the front seat and Sam rolled the windows down.

He laughed. "Sorry McNally." She flushed angrily. "You had to throw it in a dumpster behind a restaurant, huh?" Swarek said over his shoulder to the guy in the back seat.

* * *

><p>Sam and Andy got back to the station and after a short stop in Booking, she was in the locker room cleaning up. She had to wash her hair three times before she could be sure she'd gotten the slime and the stink out. Andy wrapped a towel around herself and walked over to the lockers where she combed her hair and got dressed in a fresh set of clothing. She had just pulled an ace bandage out of her locker when someone knocked on the door. She looked over her shoulder as Sam poked his head in.<p>

"Hey, are you almost done?"

"Just about. I'll meet you out there in a minute."

She sat on the bench facing her locker and started wrapping her ankle. She heard him walk up behind her.

"How is it?" he asked as he looked over her shoulder.

She shrugs. "I think it's alright. Just feels weird. You shouldn't be in here." She was trying to pull off nonchalant, but her nerves were jangling a little, and her hands shook when she wrapped her ankle.

"God, McNally. How'd you pass your first aid training?" He straddled the bench next to her. "Here, give it to me. You're making a mess of that." She moved so she was also sitting astride the bench. He took her ankle and rested it on top of his knee and started rolling up the bandage.

"How bad does it hurt?"

She leaned back on her hands. "It doesn't really. I just feel a little weakness every now and again when I step on it."

"Maybe a little rest."

"Trust me. I'm resting enough. I have to train."

"Well, if you don't rest it, you won't have to worry about training." He held her foot as he started rolling the bandage on. "A couple of days here or there isn't going to derail you too much. You'll get back to it pretty easily. Is this too tight?"

She flexed her foot and then shook her head. "No, it feels okay."

"They're putting that guy in a room, so when you finish up in here, we can start in on him." He pinned the end of the bandage. "Move your toes."

"It's not too tight."

"If you say so." They sat there for a long quiet spell, her foot still on his knee. It looked like Sam was about to say something. His eyes were on the wall over her shoulder, and for a second they flicked to hers and he opened his mouth.

The door to the locker room opened, and they jumped, startled out of the moment. As Jerry stepped in, Andy stood up and moved to her locker. His eyes followed her curiously and then settled back on Swarek. "Sammy, your guy in interrogation says he's got a tip. He wants a deal."

He snorted disdainfully. "What does he think he has for us?"

"He says he has information about the murder of Zoe Martinelli."

Sam froze for a second and then stood up. "Get Callaghan."


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes at the end of the chapter!**

* * *

><p>Andy and Sam stood behind the glass, looking into the interrogation room. They'd taken a turn talking to the guy, but they got nothing from him. Luke had been in there for over an hour, trying to get any scrap of information out of their suspect. He also was having no luck.<p>

"Did you put a rush on the ballistics?" Swarek asked McNally.

She nodded. "I told them. But they're really backed up. When they found out that it was for this case, they said they'd hurry, but I don't know if we'll hear anything today." She watched as Luke sat back in his chair, the frustration on his face was clear. He picked up the thick file he had sitting in front of him and got up, walking to the door. In seconds, he was in the observation room with Andy and Sam.

"He's refusing to talk until he gets a lawyer. Ballistics?" He looked at Swarek, his face cold.

"They're working on it."

Luke turned to Andy. "Well it's getting late. I'm not going to lie; I don't have very high hopes for this. I'm going to put him in a cell for the night and look over some things, but you might as well go home." He looked back and forth between the two of them. "We probably won't get a lawyer in here until tomorrow, so I guess we'll have to try again then." He kissed Andy. "I'll be here a while, so I'll see you in the morning. Get some sleep." He nodded to Swarek and left the room.

* * *

><p>They were almost back to Andy's when she finally asked Sam, "so, are you going to tell me about this case?"<p>

"You should ask Callaghan. It's his baby. He knows the most about it anyway."

"He won't be back for hours and I won't be able to sleep until I hear it. So just tell me. I don't need details."

"Good, because there aren't many. I was undercover at the time, so I didn't even really know her. But I knew her training officer; we were rookies together. A guy named Mark Swift. One night, they got a call to check out this building. It had been empty for a long time, and 15 was constantly getting calls about it. Kids would sneak in, fool around, deal drugs, throw parties. The place was trashed. Anyway, they got a call about some people sneaking around, some lights inside, whatever. They went in and split up and started clearing the rooms. Most likely scenario, she surprised someone during a drug deal, and they shot her in the head." He parked the car in front of her house and they sat there and Andy took off her belt and turned in her seat to listen.

"By the time Swift got in there, the shooter was gone; out a window, out a back door, who knows. The only real evidence they have is the bullet they pulled out of her. The place had DNA, hair, fingerprints all over the place from a hundred different people, the majority of which had criminal records. There was no way of knowing who'd been there that night, and no one had anything else to offer. There were some shoe prints in the dirt around the building, but they were from a shoe sold at every major department store. They were a common size, and from that they were able to estimate height. So all we really know is that the suspect is male, of average height, and what kind of shoes he was wearing at the time. The person who called it in never actually saw the person's face, couldn't even tell us skin color." He had both his hands on the wheel, fingers tapping absently against it as he looked at her.

"The case is as close to unsolvable as it gets. Even if this gun is _the_ gun, in two years it's probably changed hands a dozen times; if not, it probably got thrown in the sewer or sunk to the bottom of the lake. Even if Williams gives us a name, it's still only a name. There's still no physical evidence. Unless the guy confessed, we'd have nothing to hold him on. This case got a lot of press. Every few months, we arrest someone who claims to know something. And Callaghan pulls out the files again; spends a couple of weeks going over everything. So prepare yourself. You probably won't be seeing very much of him for a while."

She thought about it for a while. "If it was a drug deal, wouldn't there be another set of shoe prints?"

He shrugged, leaning his head back against the seat. "You'd think. But maybe the other person hadn't shown up yet; maybe they saw the squad car and took off before they even got onto the property."

"What happened to Mark Swift? He's not at 15 anymore."

Sam paused, as if he were choosing his words carefully. His eyes scanned the shadows outside the car as he continued. "Like I said, I wasn't around much at the time, but I heard some rumors that he and Martinelli were having a relationship. When he found her, he blamed himself. It pretty much destroyed him. As soon as the case went cold, he was transferred out of the division. I heard later that he finally quit the force all together maybe 3 months later. That rule. The one about TO's and their rookies? It's there to protect everyone, not just you guys." He turned and looked at her. "You should probably go inside, McNally." She nodded and grabbed her bag and got out of the truck, watching over her shoulder as it drove away.

* * *

><p>The next day, Luke stood at his window, looking out on the room full of people. There was a constant buzz of activity in the station that he found inordinately soothing. It was a nice distraction from the case file lying spread all over his desk. People were milling around, talking, typing. Andy was sitting out there at a desk across from Swarek. They both had their heads down, reading files, typing information into computers. But their mouths were moving. They didn't stop moving the whole time he watched. Every now and again, their eyes would flick towards each other as part of casual conversation, meeting occasionally. Sometimes there would be the flash of a smile from one or the other and when Swarek got up to fill their coffee cups, Andy's eyes followed him across the room. As they moved, they swept past Luke in his office, and she froze. A beat too late, she smiled at him and stood up. As she passed him, Andy took her coffee from Sam and Luke saw the way his gaze trailed her as she walked away. As Sam turned to walk back to the desk, Luke snapped his blinds shut. Andy walked in a few seconds later and sat down in a chair.<p>

"Hey, what's up?"

Luke shrugged. "I was just going to ask you the same thing."

"Same old stuff. Nothing special." Her smile was genuine, but it didn't offer him any insight, and he frowned.

"How's your day been?"

"A few traffic stops, nothing too exciting actually. What's the story on Williams?" She crossed her legs and took a sip of her coffee, settling in.

Luke looked at her curiously for a moment and then sat back, his fingers laced behind his head. "He gave us a name; one of three guys we've been looking at for this thing. The drug squad already has an undercover on the inside and a wire tap on this guy for a different case; they've been listening to him for months. But if he's as big a player as they think he is, he's clearly knows not to say anything over the phone. He's probably got a box full of disposable cells. And if he did it, he's not going to be talking about it two years later. At least not without some provocation. But if the higher ups decide that the undercover should start hinting around, they risk burning him or getting him killed." He tapped a pen on the desk top. "It's pretty much the equivalent of a dead end."

"Maybe you could leak something to the media. Like you're taking another look at the case because some new evidence came to light. Something like that."

"He still isn't using the tapped line. And we can't put a wire on the undercover or on Williams. It's too dangerous and that guy's so twitchy he would blow the whole thing." He swung in his chair a little. "I just need to think of something else. I'm not going to stop working on it, at any rate."

She nodded, her attention swaying a little. "I think I might go to the gym after work tonight. If you're staying late, do you want to pick me up?"

He nodded. "Sure, I can do that."

* * *

><p>As the days passed, Luke began to lose himself in the case. He would wake up in the morning and get ready for work, and if she wasn't running, Andy would catch a ride to the gym before her shift started. Sometimes, she would sneak back later in the evening for more. She recognized several people there from work and was usually able to catch a ride with someone. But she and Luke kept missing each other. Their schedules were just slightly off. One of them would be ready for bed, and the other would sit up, working or reading or watching television. Sometimes Andy was asleep before he even got home. Sometimes she would go out with her friends, and he would be the one in bed.<p>

Andy and Sam were in a holding pattern. As she renewed her efforts in her training, she also renewed her efforts as far as he was concerned. Mostly, things were good between them and she could _almost_forget that anything had ever been strained between them. But when she wasn't expecting it, she would notice something; the lines around his eyes when he smiled, or the little strut he adopted when he was feeling especially proud of himself. At those times, she would feel a gnawing at the pit of her stomach. So she was doing her best to keep busy; to avoid those moments. The days when she couldn't were the days she went back to the gym after work. She considered it a sort of penance; a sort of conditioning.

Two weeks before Christmas, she saw Luke sitting alone in his office. He hadn't left the room all day and every time she'd looked in that direction, he'd been on the phone. She got up from her desk and walked over.

"Hey, everything okay?

He looked at her and waved her in. She closed the door behind her. He looked tense; his eyes were tired and the lines on his face seemed deeper, the set of his shoulder was stiff.

She tried again. "What's up?"

"I got a call today from headquarters. They pretty much told me that if I can't get somewhere with the Martinelli case in the next two weeks, they want to transfer me."

"But the case is still open."

"The case is cold. It's been cold. And apparently I can reread files and listen to wire tap recordings from any office. My being here isn't making a difference as far as this case is concerned."

"But you have a job here."

"My place here is contingent on this case. It was only ever supposed to be a temporary assignment. They have other homicide detectives here. And they think my time could be better spent somewhere else. Headquarters, another division, who knows." He leaned back in his chair and rubbed his hands over his face briefly.

"I guess I just don't understand. This case has been at a standstill for almost two years. What's changed?" Andy asked confused.

Luke laughed disdainfully. "That's the point. Nothing's changed. Same tips, no new evidence. And since they don't want to risk the undercover, the transfer seems pretty inevitable."

Andy nodded, going over everything in her head. Her eyes were down, arms crossed over her chest.

"What are you thinking?" he asked. Her face was blank, her thoughts unreadable.

She shook her head. "I'm not really sure. I mean, if you want to stay in homicide and they say you have to go, you have to go, right?"

"Yeah." They sat there and stared at each other for a few moments. "We're barely seeing each other as it is; if we didn't work in the same place… I don't know." Luke sat back in his chair, hands folded behind his head as he looked at her pensively.

That was the last said on the topic for two weeks.

* * *

><p>Luke increased his efforts on the Martinelli case. He was pretty convinced that he was just spinning his wheels, but the chance that one little clue might affect his job, and possibly his life was too great a motivation. He began bring the files home at night, and it wasn't uncommon in those two weeks for Andy to come home after working out or after being out with her friends and find him nodding off at the kitchen table or on the sofa. Their conversation, when they saw each other, was brief, limited to work and every day niceties. Luke was focused and Andy was distracted and after a few days of trying to talk around their preoccupations, they gave up. Luke would make phone calls or notes over breakfast and Andy would make entries into her training log, planning her day.<p>

She and Sam had a breakthrough one afternoon. They'd stopped off at a diner and were chatting over lunch when Sam brought up the subject of her training.

"How's your running going?" Andy pointed at her full mouth, and the large bite she'd just taken. "Yes, very ladylike." She rolled her eyes and finished chewing.

"The running is fine. Actually I meant to tell you," she said smugly. "I just passed 8. I know you probably thought it would never happen."

"I never said that." He took a drink of water. "You need any help with your training?"

Andy thought about it for a fraction of a second. "Not really."

He looked at her in mild disbelief. "Not at all?"

She shook her head. "I don't think so. I'm going slowly. I'm only increasing like a quarter to half a mile a week right now. I've been doing the most of my short runs on the way to work a few times a week. But I can always use company on the long ones, if you think you can catch up."

He tossed his napkin on his empty plate and finished off his water. "I'm closer than you think."

"You've been running without me?"

He flashed a grin at her. "Hey, _you've_ been running without _me_. I figured it was only fair. And I knew that if we ever ran again, I was going to hear about it if I couldn't keep up."

"You knew we'd run together again."

He lifted an eyebrow at her with a smirk. "We _both_ knew it was only a matter of time."

Andy hid her smile by wiping her face with a napkin.

She went to the gym after work that day.

* * *

><p>She got off work late that day, and as a result, got finished working out later than she meant to. When she walked in the door, she was distracted. She almost tripped over Luke as she walked into the living room.<p>

"God, you scared me." He looked incredibly annoyed and her brows drew together as she looked at him and the suitcase next to him. "What's up?"

"Well, I thought we were leaving to visit my parents a couple of hours ago, but apparently I was wrong."

Andy froze in her tracks. "Your parents…" She squinted, trying to remember. "Did I know about this?"

"We talked about it a month ago."

"Did you remind me?" He gave her a look and pointed to the calendar where it was circled in red Sharpie. "Shit, I completely forgot."

"No kidding."

"Just give me twenty minutes. I'll shower and pack and we can get on the road." She ran out of the room and hopped in and out of the shower, throwing things into a duffel bag as she dressed and dried her hair. She ran back to the kitchen and made herself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and went back to find Luke. He was still sitting in the same chair, his suitcase propped up next to him.

"Hey, I'm ready. Your mom's really going to love me now that I made us late, huh?" His head was resting on the back of the chair and his eyes cut over to her, tiredly. "Is something else wrong?"

He sighed loudly. "The transfer order came through today." Andy stared at him, unable to think of a single thing to say. "I'll work through Christmas next week and New Year's and that's it." He waited for her to say something and when she didn't, he nodded and stood up. "I guess we'd better get going, we're already late." He picked up his suitcase and walked out of the room, leaving Andy staring after him.

* * *

><p>The end came quickly; the weekend after New Year's. Luke had just finished his first week in his new assignment. She asked a few times how he liked it, but he shrugged, giving her a noncommittal answer each time. Since the transfer request had come through, he'd become withdrawn, and a sort of resignation had settled in. The trip to his parents' house had been extremely tense and uncomfortable, even before they'd arrived.<p>

Andy was just finishing up her run. She'd done seven miles with Sam and after she'd left him at his house, she'd finished the last mile alone. The weather was cooperating. The wind was down, and the temperature had come up a few degrees. She felt strong throughout most of the distance, even having enough steam to tack on an extra block at the end. It wasn't a huge increase, but at the distances she was running, every bit helped. She'd forgotten to bring a snack with her, and so she was a little shaky as she jogged up the sidewalk.

She passed Luke's car sitting in the driveway and noticed there was a bag packed, sitting in the back seat. As she walked up the steps of the house, she pulled off her hat, shaking out her sweaty pony tail. When she got inside, she grabbed an apple from the kitchen and went looking for Luke. He wasn't in the house. She walked through the living room, glancing at the unlit Christmas tree neither of them had thought to take down. It leaned pathetically to the side, and was empty of gifts. Out the window, past the tree she caught sight of Luke standing near the railing and went out to meet him.

"Hey, are we taking another trip I forgot about?" she joked as she closed the door behind her. When he looked up at her, his eyes were serious.

"I'm going to the fishing cabin for the weekend."

"By yourself?"

"You have to work, don't you?"

"Yeah," she said, puzzled. He said nothing for a few seconds and then held out her phone.

"Your phone rang while you were running. I ignored it, but then it rang again, and again. And so I picked it up." A feeling of dread spread through Andy's body, and she clicked on her phone, pressing the icon for missed calls.

"It was your landlord."

"My land…. Oh Luke. I can explain."

"He was calling to tell you that since your lease is up, the girl who's been subletting your apartment is moving in with her boyfriend and he wanted to see if you wanted to renew. Apparently he has people who are interested in renting."

"Luke, really, I have a good explanation." He held up a hand to stop her.

"I told him to hold it for you."

"Now wait a second! That was a decision I made months ago."

"Maybe, but you made the decision every day since then to hide it from me."

"I didn't hide it. I've barely thought about it since then."

"Andy, open your eyes. This isn't working. You're not here anymore. You stopped talking to me months ago."

"We talk every day."

"Yeah, we talk about work, or about what you see on television. Those are things strangers talks about. You didn't tell me about your apartment, and you keep the details of your life to yourself. I don't know_who_ you're talking to, but you're not talking to me. I _still _don't know what happened with you and Swarek, and I think I've been pretty understanding about that. You don't even tell me about your running."

"But you don't care!"

"Of course I care. Andy, you spend like 85% of your free time training, or thinking about training. And you never talk about it." He stood up and started pacing. "You checked out a long time ago; maybe we both did. I can't even remember the last time we spent a whole day together alone, or even the last time we had sex."

Andy frowned and looked away as she counted in her head. She hadn't even thought about it in…_oh god_.

He continued. "I feel like I'm the only one fighting for this relationship, and I'm just tired of working for something that is clearly lost cause."

"Luke, I'm just distracted because of the training. After the half, everything will go back to normal."

He laughed a little bitterly. "Andy, even you know that's a lie. As soon as this one's over, you'll be training for the next one. Besides, it's not about the running. I can deal with that. But when we're in this house together, I feel like we're just…treading water. We aren't moving forward, we aren't connecting. Whatever spark we had is gone.

"Admit it. The only reason we are still living in this house together, is because until now it's been more convenient to live together than to split up. We need to just accept it. With us working in different places, this could be clean break. It'd give us both a fresh start."

Andy stared at him, a little shell-shocked. "Honestly, right now, I have _no idea_ what to say to you."

He shrugged, looking at her sadly. "Then I guess you can just say 'goodbye'."

* * *

><p>And so Andy found herself standing alone in Luke's house, scanning the living room. Most of the things in this house were Luke's. She'd put some of her furniture in storage and gotten rid of the rest of it. The pictures she'd chosen for her walls in her apartment were now hanging on the walls in the guest room. Most of the dishes and kitchen stuff was purchased together after they moved in. The major electronics were his, leaving her the smaller television from the bedroom. If she packed everything really well, it probably wouldn't take more than a few car loads to get everything back to her apartment; if she could borrow a car. She plugged in the lights to the sad looking Christmas tree and sank down onto the ottoman with the apple still in her hand and just sat there, watching them.<p>

It was amazing to her that at the end of a relationship as long as theirs, she hadn't accumulated anything substantial other than her own personal objects. There was nothing that they had purchased together that she felt incredibly attached to. Luke could keep the dishes.

Although it must have been coming for a long while, she almost felt like she'd had the wind knocked out of her, and was too shocked to feel much anger. Nor did she feel sadness. In fact, she didn't really feel upset, or feel much of anything at all, for that matter. Except shame. She felt shame because when her mind finished racing over the last half hour and the last few months of her life, in the stillness that remained, the one word snaking through her head was '_finally_.'

Andy sat on that ottoman until the sun went down and she noticed that the room had darkened. The Christmas lights were making colorful tracings on the wall and ceiling around the tree and her eyes were tired from watching them. She stood up and walked to the kitchen and got a glass of water, drinking it down quickly. She looked down at the floor; she was still wearing her running shoes. The sweatshirt she'd discarded somewhere as soon as she'd entered the house, but her heavy coat was hanging on the rack and she grabbed it, pulling it over her shoulders and zipping it up halfway.

Andy left the house, turning right as soon as she hit the snow-dusted sidewalk. She told herself she didn't know where she was going; she was just walking. But the sureness in her step, the crispness of each turn was evidence to the contrary.

She soon found herself standing on Sam's front stoop, fist lifting and bunching to knock on the door. Movement through the window caught her eye and she paused. As she watched, Sam walked into the room, and sat down next to Kate, putting his arm around her. The television was on but neither one appeared to notice as he pulled her close and kissed her cheek, her neck, finally burying his face in tangled waves of her hair. She pulled back and took his face between her hands and covered his mouth with hers. They broke apart, faces lit up in laughter. Andy turned around, feeling like the intruder she was, slightly afraid that if she watched any longer, they'd probably make her blush. She took a step, and then another, and another until finally she was across the street and on her way home. The little voice that she'd heard earlier spoke to her again with a grim resignation. _He really is happy._

She went home to pack.

* * *

><p><strong>Notes: Sorry about what I like to refer to as the "Big Zoe Martinelli Fake-Out." I knew I wasn't going to be able to do it as well as the actual writers, so I just twisted it a little for my purposes.<strong>

**Also, if you don't remember Andy subletting her apartment, don't feel bad. Neither did I. It's at the beginning of Chapter 4.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Note: This part is dedicated to those of you who have been politely begging me to continue this story ;) You know who you are. It would have been out sooner, but I was in the woods without internet all weekend.**

**Also, Part 10 is in the works.**

* * *

><p>After walking back from Sam's the night of the breakup, Andy poured herself a glass of wine and started packing a box. After less than an hour, the bottle was gone, and only that one box had been filled. She fell asleep on the couch watching a movie, waking to the sound of her early alarm going off in the bedroom. She wandered sleepy-eyed into the room and collapsed onto the bed, and hit snooze three times before getting up to get ready for work. She wasn't feeling great and had to push it, but she made it to work with just enough time to hit the shower and quickly dress before her shift.<p>

Andy worked what was probably the most boring Saturday in recorded history, reading and rereading case files, typing up reports and making phone calls. Hung over. Swarek was out doing who knew what while she was trying to clear the never-ending pile of paperwork off her desk. She glanced over to her left. Oliver had been back for about a week and she could tell just by looking at him that he was irritated to be on a desk. His eyes followed the officers walking through the building, clearly on their way to patrol or to visit a crime scene and he'd mutter to himself. He looked up and saw her watching him.

"McNally," he said loudly. She winced slightly at the volume and he chuckled to himself. "How are we feeling this morning?"

"Feel great, sir."

"Yeah, that looks like your 'feel great' hangover face."

She raised a tired eyebrow at him and dipped her head in a nod. "I haven't really seen much of you this week. How's your shoulder?" She nodded at the brace he was wearing. The figure-8 strap wrapped over both of his shoulders and crossed in the back, immobilizing his shoulders and healing collarbone.

"Not so bad these days. At first, it hurt like crazy, but when you break a bone, they give you good drugs, so it could have been worse I suppose." He smiled.

"And I heard another month until you're back on the street?"

"That's the minimum. I'm not holding my breath. I have to go back in a few weeks for another x-ray and they'll decide then. I'm still doing the physical therapy, though. They aren't saying when they think I'll have full range of motion, or full strength back, so it might be a while before I'm wrestling creeps to the ground. Who knows? Maybe I can get Epstein to drive me around the safer parts of town."

She yawned, tucking her hair behind her ear. As she swiveled in her seat to get something out of the drawer, she turned her body towards Oliver.

"Your scar looks good," he said. She looked up. "After it fades a little, people may not even notice it."

Her hand went instinctively to feel the scar and shrugged, giving him a small smile. "I actually kind of like it. Makes me look tough."

He snorted. "Wishful thinking."

Andy yawned again and stood up. "I think more coffee is necessary. Did you need a refill?" He shook his head. She took a step towards the cart, but he stopped her.

"Hey McNally, how is Callaghan liking his new assignment?"

She paused and then turned back to look at him. "As far as I know, it's great." She smiled and walked away.

* * *

><p>She found Traci in the locker room after shift and peered around the lockers and in the shower stalls before sitting down next to her on the bench.<p>

"I need your help."

"What now? Do you have another uncomfortable dinner for me to sit through?"

"Luke and I broke up last night."

Traci's eyes got huge. "What?" she said slowly, in disbelief.

"Yeah. I mean I think about it now, and I see it. It was probably time. But last night, it was your basic hit and run. I'll tell you about it later."

"So you break up and what? You got drunk?"

"Just enough to feel it this morning. It probably didn't help that I forgot to eat dinner," she admitted. "The point is Luke is gone for the weekend, and I need help getting all of my stuff out of the house before he comes back."

"Not tonight though, right?" Traci was bent over and shoving stuff into her bag. "I promised I'd be home early tonight."

"It won't take long. A few hours, I swear."

"C'mon, Andy."

"And it gets worse."

"As if it could?"

"I called my landlord today, and Jessica, the girl who's moving out of my apartment, won't have all of her stuff out for a few days, so…" she looked at Traci innocently.

"You're kidding, right?"

"It'll only be for two days, max. She said I could move most of my stuff back in, but she still has boxes and furniture to move out and she's not actually going to be out completely until Monday. So I just need a spot on your couch."

"I seem to remember you having other friends that could probably put you up. I don't exactly have a lot of room."

"Traci." The look on her friend's face didn't change. "I'll wash your car, I'll do all your dishes, and I'll clean the bathroom. Whatever you want." Traci still looked annoyed. "Look, Dov and Chris already have Gail at their place, and besides, I'd kind of like to keep this new development to myself for a while," she finally said quietly, looking around furtively again.

"You mean you don't want people to know that you and Luke broke up."

"That's exactly what I mean."

"Have you told Swarek? I'm sure he has a little extra room at his place," she said and raised her eyebrow suggestively, her grin wide. "Plus, he could probably haul everything in one trip. It's going to take us forever in my car."

"It won't take that long. And as far as Swarek goes, I'm not quite ready to hear the 'I told you so', alright?" Andy argued. Traci rolled her eyes and slung her purse over her shoulder. "Besides, Luke isn't here anymore, so I can just tell people when I'm all settled, and things are a little less…confusing. I just need some time to think things through; you know, figure stuff out."

"People _are_ going to find out. You can't keep a secret to save your life."

"Well, so far I've only told you. As long as you can keep a secret, they'll find out when I want them to." Andy looked at her pointedly and then tried one more thing. "I would do this for you in a heartbeat." She got a sly look on her face. "In fact, I'm pretty sure I _have_ done this for you."

Traci turned to her, relenting. "Fine. Two days."

"You're a lifesaver."

"Yeah, I know." Traci walked out the door.

Andy trailed after her. "Hey, do you think you can help me get my furniture out of storage?"

* * *

><p>They worked quickly, if not neatly. Even though Andy knew that Luke was gone, the idea that he might show up while they were cleaning everything out was first and foremost on her mind. Within a half hour, the girls had Andy's clothes dumped into suitcases, and all of her bathroom stuff tossed into a box and with hangers slung over their arms, they took all of it out to the car. Then they went back in and started packing up the rest of her stuff. The car was soon filled once, then again with coats, a garbage bag full of shoes, pillows, sheets, a mirror, a couple of plants that had seen better days, some knick knacks, some of the gear from work, all of the gear from running. There were still a half dozen boxes from the move <em>into<em> the house that had been sitting untouched in the closet in the guest room, and those were loaded into the car on the third trip.

On the fourth trip, they stood in the house, looking around for things they had missed. The coat closet was checked. Andy went through the kitchen and pulled out the dishes she had brought with her. She trailed her fingers over books, CDs and DVDs, extracting hers from the shelves. She walked room by room with a box, collecting the little pieces of her life she never really thought about until it came time to separate them as_ hers_. The last thing she did was take down the pictures from her apartment that had been hanging in the guest room and tucked them in behind the car seats. Traci pulled the car out onto the dimly lit street, and Andy didn't spare a look for the house as they drove away.

Traci had drawn the line at retrieving furniture, and so at the end of their adventure, there was a large pile of boxes and clothing in one corner of the living room of the apartment. It had been pretty well cleaned out, but Jessica still had a similar pile of boxes on the opposite wall that were going out instead of coming in. Most of the furniture had been taken out, save the bed and a couple of straight-backed chairs. For a second she stood in the middle of the living room and breathed deeply, and a sudden feeling of relaxation came over her. She hadn't realized how much anxiety she'd been holding on to, since even before the breakup, and it was very slowly ebbing away. From now on, she wouldn't have to share a bathroom, or worry about doing the dishes right away. She could come and go as she pleased; she wouldn't have to think about calling if she was going to be late. Monday after work, she could come home to this place and start unpacking and then everything could go back to the way it was.

* * *

><p>Her initial plan to keep her break up a secret lasted two weeks, which was at least a week longer than she felt could honestly expect. After getting her apartment set up, her fridge stocked, and her clothes folded in drawers and hung in the closet, she'd begged Jessica's boyfriend to help her haul the rest of her stuff from the storage unit. It had only taken a couple of trips. Now her bedroom actually had a bed and dresser, and her living room had her chairs. She'd gotten rid of her end tables and also her small dining table and chairs but those weren't absolute necessities and she could probably wait to replace them.<p>

For Andy, one of the major perks of being suddenly single was that if she wanted, she could devote all her free time to training. The only problem was Sam. Ever since she'd gone to his house that night, she'd felt different around him. It was like seeing him and Kate in such a private moment cemented the loss she'd originally felt when they'd first begun their relationship. At work, things were alright. They kept busy, and she was able to distance herself and keep her mind focused on the work. She didn't have to think about how in love they'd seemed, or how strange it was to go home to a place without even a hint of another life in it. She liked living alone, but there was something about the presence of another person that was comforting. Even when she hadn't seen Luke, she knew he'd been there by the smell of his cologne or by the neat stack of mail he'd put on the counter.

These thoughts came up when Andy wasn't busy arresting criminals, or filling out traffic accident reports. When she and Sam were running, her mind was free to wander, and more often than not, it wandered to the person next to her. As per their original agreement, they tried not to talk about their personal lives, but as is likely to happen, conversation steered itself in that direction more than once and she'd had to rein herself in a little. She figured that she just needed something distract her. She'd been avoiding talking to a trainer at the gym, but after some careful thought, decided to shell out the extra money and go in for a consultation. Even though it was a 24-hour gym, the trainers weren't 24-hour and so she'd had to make a special appointment and he'd stayed late to meet with her.

The guy assigned to her was named Cory and was tall and dark-haired with a wiry build. And if the gold band on his finger was any indication, he was very happily married. He was also extremely knowledgeable. After hearing she was preparing for a race, he sat down with her and went over her latest plan revision with her training log and they came up with something she thought she could work with. She'd been trying to increase her speed, but when she tried to kick it up, she found herself tiring rapidly. But Cory said that they could fix it. He increased her weights and reps and added squat and lunge variations to strengthen her hamstrings, quads and glutes to help her power through those longer runs. He had Andy try a new and lengthier stretching routine and also talked to her about gear, ice baths and pre-, mid-, and post-run fueling.

She left that night, a little over two weeks after the breakup, with a fistful of papers, including a schedule for the neighborhood running club, which Cory helped out with. Apparently, there were a few groups all over the city that participated in any number of runs, casual and training. She'd tried to explain that her schedule wasn't very consistent or flexible, but he'd given her the calendar anyway, just in case.

By the time Andy got done with him and had done a run-through of everything they'd talked over, the crowd in the gym was significantly smaller than when she'd arrived, and she didn't know a single person left. She walked the few blocks back to the station to see if anyone from her shift was left, but didn't recognize any of the cars in the parking lot and so she kept walking. After unanswered calls to Traci, Chris, Dov, and even Gail, her finger hovered over the button she could use to call Sam. She hesitated a couple of seconds and then, shaking her head resolutely, she tucked her phone and the papers into her gym bag, turning at the corner to walk to the Penny. While not exactly next door, it was much closer than her apartment, and there was bound to be someone left there.

Her foot had just hit the asphalt in the parking lot when she heard Swarek call her name. She looked over to her left and saw him, standing with his keys in hand next to his truck.

"McNally. Late night."

She nodded and walked toward him. "Yeah. Is Traci in there?"

"No. She left a while ago."

"Chris and Dov?"

"They're gone too." By this time she was standing right next to his truck and he could read the frustration on her face. "Did you need a ride?"

Andy weighed her options. If this was seriously the last ride available to her, and she declined, she'd be in for a long walk. If she accepted, chances were she'd be in for an even longer night. She shook her head, stubbornly. "I think I can walk it."

"Yeah, I think you're wrong. Get in."

"Sam," she began, gearing herself up.

"No." He shook his head and waved a hand distractedly. "I'm tired and I don't feel like getting into it with you tonight. So just get in."

Andy exhaled loudly and walked around to the other side to climb in.

She got into Sam's car, warning bells began going off in her head. When he pulled out onto the road, she tried again.

"Really, Sam, it's not that far."

"McNally, give me a break. It's practically on the way." She stared out her window, fingers tapping rapidly against her knee, betraying her apprehension. His eyes cut to her and he frowned.

"Are you okay? You seem wound a little tight lately."

Andy ignored him, but tried again as they approached her apartment building and then drove past it.

"Really, Sam. You can just drop me here and I can walk."

"We're still a few miles away and it's dark and freezing out. You're not getting out here."

She rolled her eyes and leaned her head back against the seat. "Can you at least just drop me at Traci's?"

His brows drew together and he looked at her. "Is there some reason you don't want to go home?"

"Of course not," she said quickly. Maybe Luke wasn't home. Maybe he was working and she could just wait out front for Traci to come pick her up. But when Sam pulled the truck up into the driveway a few minutes later, Luke's car was sitting there, and there was a light in the window facing the street. Andy slid self-consciously down into her seat, tucking her head against the seat, trying to make herself as small as possible. Sam turned towards her, bracing his left elbow on the top of the steering wheel and the other on the shoulder of the seat, holding his hands out in front of him.

"Okay, what the hell is wrong with you? Why are you acting like a lunatic?" he asked sharply.

Giving up completely, she sat up in the seat and turned to face him angrily. "Because I don't live here anymore, alright?" she practically yelled, hands clenched into fists. Sam's eyes went past her to the window, where Luke had appeared, head down, not yet taking notice of the large truck in the driveway. "Just please get me out of here, before he thinks I'm stalking him."

"We're in _my_ truck."

"Well, then let's leave before he thinks _you're_ stalking him. Can you please just drive?" Sam looked at her thoughtfully and then nodded and reversed out of the driveway. They were a block or two away when he finally spoke.

"When you say you don't live there, you mean…?"

"We broke up, okay?" He nodded silently, digesting her words. He looked like he wanted to say something, but thought better of it and after a minute or two, he tried again, his voice a little unsure.

"So where have you been living?"

"At my old apartment," she mumbled, avoiding his eyes. He looked at her suspiciously.

"Just a lucky break that it was vacant?"

"Yeah, something like that." She suddenly realized that they he had not turned back toward her apartment and they were headed in the opposite direction. "Where are we going?"

"I have a feeling that I'm going to need food to get me through the rest of this." He scratched his head absently and glanced at her. "Feel like pie?"

She leaned her head back against the seat and breathed in deeply, preparing herself. "As long as it comes with coffee."

* * *

><p>Ten minutes later, they were sitting in a booth with red vinyl seats with two glasses of water, two desserts and two cups of coffee steaming in front of them. Andy got the most sinful looking piece of chocolate cake available, and Sam had the tallest piece of apple pie either of them had ever seen. They were two bites in before Sam spoke.<p>

"So, are you okay? With the breakup and the move and everything?" Even to him, the questions seemed inadequate. He knew there was more to say, but he was still feeling a little shell-shocked and the words weren't coming to him.

She nodded and swallowed. She'd been preparing for this conversation for the last two weeks, and he was dragging it out, which was irritating. "Yeah, it's been two weeks. The novelty has pretty much worn off."

He looked surprised. "Two weeks. That's a long time to keep something like this to yourself. Why didn't you tell me?"

"Maybe to avoid having this conversation?" she mumbled and then shrugged. "I guess I just needed some time to sort everything out. Boxes to unpack. That sort of thing."

"So, what happened?" Swarek asked, looking down at the food in front of him. He'd actually lost most of his appetite after the first couple of bites. It tasted good, but he felt something, like a snake uncoiling inside him. It took him a while to figure out that it was nerves.

"With Luke?" she asked. He nodded. "You don't want to know. It's long and not very interesting and I don't really come off very well." He smirked in spite of his discomfort and she continued. "It's more weird than anything else. I mean, you get used to doing things together, as a unit. Like shopping for groceries. It was kind of strange to only buy the things I want. You get in the habit of picking up the other person's favorite cereal or whatever."

"Yeah, I can see that."

Andy took a final bite of her cake and pushed the last half over to him. He slid his plate over to her, a good 2/3 of his slice still left. He took a forkful of the chocolate cake and put it in his mouth, staring at her thoughtfully as she dug into the apple.

She looked up him with a small look of surprise, eyes sparkling. "This is delicious."

He nodded. "Yeah it is."

Andy licked a spot of spiced apple filling from the corner of her mouth. They'd been sitting quietly now for a few minutes and she looked up at Swarek, saw him staring at her with his coffee cup held up like he was about to take a drink. But it continued to hover there, and while his eyes continued to rest on her, his mouth was unsmiling. There were still a couple bites of cake left in front of him, but despite his earlier claims, he didn't seem at all interested in food. Finally, the silence got to her.

"What are you thinking?" she asked him quietly.

"Honestly?" He raised his eyebrows at her and she nodded and took a sip of her coffee. "Honestly, a lot of things."

"Tell me one thing."

He looked at her, his expression a little clouded. "You're not going to want to hear it."

"Tell me anyway."

"I guess I was thinking that I kind of wish I didn't know."

Andy blew out a shaky breath. "Okay…"

"It's just that there's this…this feeling between us…this tension. _Still_." He shook his head and brought the cup to his lips, stealing just a taste, and then finally set it on the table. "And it seems like you're about to ask me to make a really hard choice."

"Well, I'm not." He looked up in surprise. She shrugged, trying to appear indifferent. "I've thought about it and things between us are finally almost normal again. I don't think we should risk it." She stabbed the last bite of crust and stuck it in her mouth, then pushed away her plate. "The things we said, that feeling…it was a long time ago."

"It wasn't that long ago," he said quickly.

She looked down, crushing her napkin between her fingers and continued, angry at herself and at him for each excuse that rolled out of her mouth. "We both have things going on in our lives right now and I don't think we should make things more complicated than we have to. You and Kate seem to be in a good place," she said, praying for the tiniest shred of denial. Sam was staring at her in mild disbelief and then he nodded.

"Yeah, we are."

She swallowed. Her mouth was dry from nervousness and she took a large drink of water.

"And I'm still adjusting to my…situation. I'm training, and I'm thinking about starting a new project."

"You don't have time for anything else," he said, narrowing his eyes suspiciously.

She waved him off. "That's not really the point."

"So, basically, what you're saying is that you've figured this out and I don't get a say in any of it." His voice was low and just below the surface, she heard anger sizzling.

"What else _would_ you say?"

He hesitated. "Well, you kind of sprung this on me, so I'm not really sure. I think I need some time."

"And _I_ think this just needs to be settled. Otherwise it's going to come up every day at work, or every time we hang out. And considering your situation, I think we need to figure this out tonight." She looked up from the napkin that was inexplicably in a couple dozen pieces now and spoke quietly. "Let's just make it easy. If I asked you to make that decision right now, could you and know without a doubt that it was the right choice?"

He looked her straight in the eye, and after a long pause, he shook his head. "I don't think so."

"Is there even a choice that needs to be made?" She held her breath, furious at herself for asking. But the question had just come out, with no thought at all.

He looked at her with a puzzled expression on his face. He hadn't expected her to be this…practical. Other than the fact that she that was clearly nervous just having the conversation, she seemed unaffected, almost cold. It made him falter.

"I guess I'm not sure."

She bit her lip and nodded. "Then I don't really see the point in leaving this unfinished." She poured herself another cup of coffee, more to keep her hands busy than because she actually wanted one. "It wouldn't be fair to any of us." She looked towards the counter, praying for their server to bring their bill.

He leaned back and crossed his arms. "So, then where does this leave _us_?"

"I guess at the same place we were an hour ago. We work together, and train. We're friends. Nothing has to change."

"If you say so." He leaned back in the booth and folded his hands behind his head.

"You don't have to patronize me."

"Well, apparently I do, because you're kidding yourself."

"It'll be fine. Like we never had this conversation." She nodded, more to convince herself than him.

* * *

><p>"And he bought that?" Traci rolled her eyes as she looked in the rear view mirror. It was still bitterly cold out and Andy had taken only a few steps outside before changing her mind about running to work.<p>

"I don't know that 'bought it' is entirely accurate, but he accepted it. It's the best thing." Andy avoided looking at her.

"You are the world's worst liar." Traci looked over her shoulder and switched lanes.

"Fine; it's the easiest thing."

"This is not easy. This is the most ridiculous case of self-denial I've ever heard."

"It's not self-denial if he's not available to me. And he's completely into her. I'm too late."

"Not that it would kill you to be single for a while, but you could have at least heard him out."

"Trust me; I couldn't have." Andy crossed her legs, leaning into the door.

"Why not?"

Andy shook her head.

"Andy."

She turned toward Traci, eyes glistening and shrugged defeated. "Because it was easier than actually hearing him _say_ that he was choosing her. I don't think I could deal with that."

"But you just gave up."

"I want everything to be easy again. And if we had been there any longer, going over the 'what if's', things would never be easy with us again. So just drop it, okay?" Andy had her head turned toward the window, blinking rapidly to stop the sudden stinging in her eyes.

Traci looked over at her friend, concerned. She reached over and squeezed her hand briefly and flipped on the radio, letting the music fill the car as she drove the last few blocks to Division 15.

* * *

><p>Sam sat in the driver's seat of his truck in the parking lot. He'd just watched Nash and McNally get out of Nash's car and walk towards the station. Neither one of them looked in his direction; even though he knew they had probably seen him. He leaned his head back, both hands gripping the steering wheel and exhaled loudly. When he'd dropped Andy off at her apartment late the night before, he'd watched her walk in, watched the light come on in the upstairs window of the building. And he continued to sit there until the random thoughts momentarily stopped racing through his head and he was able to concentrate on the short drive home.<p>

He caught a quick glimpse of himself in the rear view mirror and cringed. He hadn't slept more than two consecutive hours all night. Kate had stayed at her place, and so he was free to pace the house, to stare mindlessly at the television without having to make excuses.

Months before, before he had even met Kate, he'd started pushing his feeling for Andy behind a wall in a dark corner of his mind. There'd been a little hiccup in the plan when they'd had that big fight, and then again when she'd gotten into the car accident. But as time passed, little by little, the ache became less, the irrational hope faded away, and he felt like he might be able to actually move on, might actually be able to have an actual friendship with Andy, and a real relationship with Kate. _And now, Swarek? _he asked himself. He leaned his forehead between his hands on the steering wheel and tried to collect himself and his errant thoughts before he had to go in for parade.

The outburst in Luke's driveway had started it. And now, after their conversation, he could _feel_ it. In that dark corner of his mind, where he thought he'd never again have to look, there was now a small crack in the wall that he used to think was impenetrable.


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note: This is a long note; sorry in advance. I have 2 people to thank for this chapter. The first person is Cocobean2206 because after numerous PMs, she pretty much appointed herself my beta reader and gave me some great suggestions. She seriously helped me out with the mechanical problems of getting people in the right places at the right times, and a few other important things. I secretly think she did it to get first access to the rest of the story before anyone else, but I'm not complaining ;)**

**Second is one of my best friends. Marie, who has never seen the show, told me I should kill off Andy and have Sam and Kate name their firstborn after her. Don't worry. I told her you would eat me alive.**

**If I haven't said it before: I do not own Rookie Blue.**

* * *

><p>"McNally, no. I can't do it." Sam got up from the table and walked to the sink to rinse out his cereal bowl. Andy sat at the table her with feet up on the chair across from her, a map of the city spread out on top.<p>

She'd shown up that morning to find Sam staring at the map, marking routes for their first 10 miler in a red pen. She walked in and snagged a warm muffin off a plate on the counter and sat down. Apparently he'd gotten tired of taking variations of the same path and was trying to find them a new one. She was resisting.

"Sam, the reason I run this neighborhood is because I know all the places to stop for water and for a restroom if I need it. I don't want to have to worry about having to find one in the middle of this run."

"I can't run this route anymore. I'm sick of seeing the same buildings and the same people. It has to change. There are restrooms everywhere. And can't you just carry a water bottle? Or get a water belt. We could switch off carrying it."

"It would be like carrying a dumbbell around while I run. I'd like to avoid that as long as possible."

Kate leaned against the counter and took a sip of her coffee as she held a folded newspaper in front of her. She had long since gotten used to the early morning throwdowns but every now and again, her eyes flicked between the two of them, their dark heads bent together as they studied the map. At first, their voices had been low in the early morning, almost conspiratory. The more Sam tried to convince Andy to change her mind, the more the volume of their voices had risen. Finally, Kate looked at the clock over the stove and realized they'd wasted over a quarter of an hour arguing over it.

"Listen," she said. "Why don't you just map out a 5 mile route and drive it before you start. You put down a water bottle behind a tree or next to some sort of marker at every mile or every couple miles. Then run the route twice. You'll visit each marker soon enough so the bottles won't freeze and you can just recycle them or refill them when you're done." They both turned to look at her, speechless. She shrugged. "I can know things." She smiled to herself as she took her coffee and left the room to get ready for work.

So they sat down again and, after a little back and forth, picked out a new route. Since they were driving to lay out the bottles, they could go anywhere to start and park the truck and just drive back when they were done. By the time Kate came out of the bedroom, they had their coats and water bottles and were ready to leave. The three of them bundled into the truck and after dropping Kate off, they got down to business.

* * *

><p>As they ran, Andy wore her headphones which gave him some quiet time. The last couple of days had been…challenging. When he walked into the barn four days ago, he was torn. He knew that as much as Andy wanted everything to be the same, wanted to act like things were no different that day than they had been the day before, it just wasn't true.<p>

Sam could act like there was nothing going on; he'd done it for months not too long ago. He _might_ even be able to smash back down whatever feelings were sneaking around inside him, but though he tried, he couldn't forget that there was now one less thing standing between them, or that she had so easily rejected the idea of changing their relationship. But, he had decided to take his cue from Andy. If she could act like everything was the same, so could he.

And she was true to her word. If he hadn't been there, he would have sworn their conversation at the diner had never happened. At first he was mildly amused by it, impressed even. And then he started getting annoyed. The longer he watched her, the more irritating it was that she could seem so unaffected by it all, when inside, he knew he very clearly was not.

Unaffected was not the word Andy would have used. She'd had two weeks to perfect her performance, but seeing Sam sitting across from her, or riding next to her was more of a trial than usual. He was looking at her differently than he used to. Like he was waiting for some sort of reaction or breakdown. While she refused to give him the satisfaction, it still took her a solid half hour before she felt like she could even look at him without him reading every thought that was passing behind her eyes. And then after a few awkward pauses, she was great. Well, not great, but better. Everything was going according to plan for the most part. If she had to remind herself a few times that this is what she wanted, it was a small price to pay.

* * *

><p>The next three days were a little easier. The streets were a little busier, they got more calls, which meant more work, which meant more distraction. It also meant that by the time Andy got off and trudged the couple of blocks over to the gym, she was tired. When she got done there, she was exhausted. After finally getting home, she fell into bed, asleep before her head hit the pillow. Which was why she'd taken the opportunity to sleep in a little later this morning. As a result, the sun was high in the sky by the time they hit the middle of the run, and while it wasn't warm out, it was warmer than it usually was when she ran, and Andy found herself shedding layers when they passed the truck.<p>

Sam locked the truck back up and they fell into step again. His brain continued to turn current events over and over. Andy had been right about one thing. He and Kate were in a very good place. They were seeing each other most days, spending several nights a week either at his place or her place. They'd met each other's friends and had settled into a very comfortable zone. If they had been two different people, they might be talking about moving in together. Neither one of them was at that point yet, but he knew that it would come up sooner or later. They were basically living out of both apartments at this point. They both had clothing and belongings stowed in various corners of the other's residence and keys gave them the freedom to come and go as they chose. He knew that he would be stupid to risk it.

Andy pulled out ahead, and stopped next to a bench, pulling out the water bottle hidden behind a leg. She took a couple of sips and then passed the bottle to him with barely a glance. A group of people passed them, probably close to ten, all dressed for the weather, running at a steady pace. Andy waved to a couple of people, and she saw Cory at the back and walked over to meet him. He came to a stop with a quick look at the group ahead of him and said, "Hey, how's it going today?"

"Not too bad; we're doing our first ten." They made small talk for a few moments and then she smiled and then looked over at Sam, who was watching them with interest. "Actually, we should probably get going again."

He grinned and started backing away. "Yeah, I've got to get back. I'll see you tomorrow though, right?"

She nodded and smiled. "See you tomorrow." He turned and left, hurrying to meet the group and Sam frowned. He took a large swig of water and passed the bottle back, watching the guy run away from them. He watched the exchange and he felt a little flicker of something inside.

"Friend of yours?"

"Just someone from the gym." She bent down and tucked the bottle away again and they took off.

She ran a couple of strides ahead of him, effectively preventing him from asking any more questions. He took a long deep breath, and willed his mind to clear, something that had just been impossible for the last few days. But soon, he found himself in a place where the words in his head and the sounds of the park faded a little, and he heard his breath and their foot falls and not much else.

She continued to run ahead of him, and at first he didn't even realize he was doing it. His eyes lit on her swinging ponytail, following it down, and then sank lower to the curve of her hips as she ran in front of him. The quiet inside him deepened, and as his eyes continued down her legs, covered in running tights, ending at her strong, slender ankles, he wasn't thinking about his breathing or much of anything else at all. Two college guys were running the other direction, and both turned their heads back to check her out as they passed. A little shamed after realizing he'd been doing the same thing, Sam barked "beat it" at them, hooking a thumb over his shoulder and they ran past him with a dirty look.

After that, Sam kept even with her and and made a point to keep his eyes aimed straight ahead.

* * *

><p>Afterwards, Andy let them into her apartment. They both bent down and untied their shoes, toeing them off next to the door. Andy dropped her headband and gloves on top of them and peeled off the light jacket she wore as her outer layer. She walked down the hall, and into her bedroom, closing the door before quickly pulling off her sweaty clothing and putting on a pair of sweatpants and a fresh T-shirt. Sam tossed his sweatshirt over the back of a chair, and Andy moved quickly past him, grabbing a couple of empty glasses off a plastic tote serving as a coffee table, pulling a large pizza box off the counter and stacking it on top of a couple others near the trash.<p>

Sam found himself standing in McNally's living room. He'd had every intention of going home to shower and shave and possibly nap, but the offer of an early lunch had proven too tempting. Right now, she had an egg carton and containers of cut up vegetables open on the counter tops and was making omelets. He walked over and opened the fridge, looking inside.

"You know you have more leftovers in here than actual food, right?"

She smiled to herself. "I've had a lot of dinner dates lately." Judging soley by her tone, he couldn't tell if she was joking, but decided to leave it alone for the moment. He glanced around the kitchen. Clean for the most part, there were several dirty dishes sitting in the sink, a bottle of dish soap, and another of hand soap sat next to the knobs, and a chunky men's watch with a green canvas band rested on the counter next to the toaster. Clearly a man's watch. Sam glanced at it again, and then at Andy, an unpleasant thought beginning to take form in his head.

He walked around to the other end of the counter, and leaned against the wall, taking a quick mental picture of the room. His eyes scanned everything quickly, noting the few boxes still in the corner that hadn't yet been unpacked, the pictures leaning against the walls, waiting to be hung. DVDs and Blu-rays were stacked in four tall piles against the wall, waiting for a shelf.

"I thought you said you'd been here a few weeks."

She looked up from the stove. "I have."

"You said you unpacked."

She shrugged. "Not all the way. I've been busy."

"With what?" He turned to look at her, suspiciously. If anything, she should have more time now that she was single.

"Life?" She smiled. "I keep getting distracted. Besides, I got rid of a bunch of stuff; my bookshelves, tables, some other stuff. I just haven't gotten around to replacing everything yet." She slid an omelet onto a plate and held it out to him. "As soon as I moved everything in, I actually sold my old bedroom stuff and bought new. Sort of a present to myself." He reached out and took the plate from her, fingers sliding over hers and she turned away quickly to start the second one. "Forks are in the drawer next to the sink."

He walked down the hall, eating as he wandered around the apartment. Down at this end, some photos had made it to the wall. There were a few of her and her friends from the academy; one with just her and Traci some night he didn't remember at the Black Penny. Another showed Chris, Dov and Gail, holding up their ruined ties on the day they were cut loose. The last in the row was one of Andy as a small child, sitting on her father's lap as he looked down at her. Her face was turned into his shoulder as she slept. Two thin braids fell over her shoulders, and her small hands were curled in the folds of his shirt. Sam stared at that one a few seconds longer and then continued down the hall.

To his left was a bathroom, filled with white tile. The top of the vanity was typically cluttered with a myriad of bottles of confusing purpose or origin. There was a thick blue ceramic mug with a tube of toothpaste and two toothbrushes standing up at odd angles. Mismatched towels hung on the railing above the toilet and there was a small window filled with wavy glass, where the sun was streaming through, casting light on the dark blue mat spread over the floor.

On the opposite site of the hall was her bedroom; the door was standing open. He glanced down towards the kitchen, and then took a few steps in, curious. The room smelled like Andy, like the soap she used and a touch of the perfume she liked to wear and it was as bare as the living room. Clothing was tucked into drawers, although not neatly. The closet door stood open, and her uniforms were hung crisply in stark contrast to the rest of the stuff crammed in there. Except for some delicate-looking curtain thing across the top of the window, there was very little decoration in the room, very little extra anything. Under the window sat a basket half-full of dirty laundry and there was a innocuous pile of random odds and ends on the top of the dresser; receipts, a few coins and a couple of pens.

A heavy-looking mahogany-stained sleigh bed took up most of the room, with pale yellow sheets and a down comforter strewn every which way. Even the pillows were askew, bunched and wrinkled. He frowned, looking at the indents in both pillows, and then moved on. There was a short stack of books on the floor next to the bed, a small lamp next to that.

He heard a faint noise somewhere on the other end of the apartment and he turned and quickly left the room, following the music back. Andy was leaning over the counter, taking a bite and then setting her fork down to write in her log. She had a tall glass of chocolate milk in front of her and was filling out some sort of chart, making notes in a column on the right side of the page.

"I was thinking that we should probably do another couple of weeks at ten," she said over her shoulder. "I felt kind of unsteady for the last mile or so." She set her pen down and turned around with her plate and looked at him. "Find anything incriminating?"

He froze, his eyes sliding to meet hers. "I didn't mean to..."

She grinned. "Yeah, you did. I don't care." She walked past him into the living room and sat down in a chair, pulling her feet up under her. "Besides, it's only fair. I've certainly snooped around your place enough."

* * *

><p>Sunday, Andy took a break from running and cardio and she worked with Cory on strengthening. He would gently move her limbs, adjusting her form as she moved from machines to free weights and back again. Afterwards, they went through the longer stretching routine, and by the time she left, she was tired, but relaxed; her muscles felt strong and supple. Her phone beeped at her and she checked it. Two missed calls from her dad.<p>

He'd called her at least once a day since she told him about the break-up, and they'd been meeting for lunch a few times a week, and dinner a few more. No matter how many times she told him that she was okay, that she was happy, he kept checking up on her. While she appreciated the attention, she suspected it had more to do with her being back in the neighborhood and him being a little lonely since he'd stopped drinking. All of his old friends still sat at the bar every night, and while he was meeting people at AA, she knew it wasn't quite the same. She made a mental note to call him later to set up dinner.

When she got home and got showered, she sat down and thinking of Sam, unpacked the rest of her boxes. Since she was already on a roll, she took a garbage bag through all the rooms, tossing scraps of paper, a few empty water bottles, and some magazines she knew she'd never read. In the bathroom, she took her old toothbrush and threw it into the bag, leaving her new one in the cup where it was. She took the bag and the stack of pizza boxes and take-out containers and walked downstairs, dumping the whole mess into the trash.

* * *

><p>The next week passed without any major problems. Work was steady with no shortage of calls coming in, reporting everything from shoplifting to a call asking for response to the scene of a double homicide. Andy was finding it easier to concentrate on the task at hand and to shut everything else out. She focused on work while she was at work. When she wasn't, she focused on her training. And the more she focused on her training, the less time and energy she had to think about other things. And it was working well. Except for those times when she would look up and catch Sam watching her.<p>

It was less of an issue when they were busy on the road, but when they were at the station, and they had a little down time, she would get up to pour coffee, or make a phone call and there were times when she swore she could feel his eyes on her the entire time. When she turned back, he would all too slowly look back down at his work, or off to the side, shifting his attention to someone else in the room. At first, it was unnerving, and then it started becoming a little…bothersome. Finally, one time when she got a text message, she picked it up and glanced up and found him staring, unsmiling at the phone in her hand.

"Knock it off," she hissed. Startled, his eyes flew up to hers.

"What?"

"You're starting to freak me out."

"Is that the watch you usually wear?"

She looked down at her wrist, at the narrow black band and small silver case. Then she looked back at him with a confused expression on her face. "Almost every day." She got up with her phone and walked away, leaving the room.

Sam leaned back in his chair. In the first few days since their little pact, he hadn't been able to focus on much other than how the circumstances were affecting him personally. But facts were starting to stack up in front of him. That guy in the park, and then later in her apartment… The evidence was all circumstantial, he knew. Even the fact that she had disappeared without a word on lunch break a few times was not that big a deal. Unless he combined with what he had seen in her apartment. Add in the mysterious phone calls and texts she'd been getting over the last week or so, and it made him wonder.

He was very quickly coming to the realization that while she was no longer in a relationship with Callahan, it wasn't completely impossible that she might be seeing someone else. He hadn't thought Andy was the type to bounce from one person to the next so quickly but it was one explanation for why she had so quickly shut down the thought of anything happening between them.

* * *

><p>At Andy's request, their run the following weekend was another ten miler. They ran the same route again, this time in reverse. He'd noticed her slowing a little bit throughout, but when he asked her about it, she shook her head, saying it was nothing and had pushed through. Her mood was questionable. She'd been short with him a few times, and he just chalked it up to the early morning. Truth be told, he wasn't feeling that great himself. He'd been averaging somewhere between four and five hours of sleep a night for the past few nights and he'd had a hard time getting moving that morning and even though they'd done this distance the previous week, he was finding himself tiring more quickly and he was a little discouraged.<p>

They stopped off briefly at a convenience store to use the bathroom and as he reached the exit, he paused, watching through the window. Andy was talking comfortably with a guy he thought he recognized, but couldn't place. He was dressed normally; jeans, heavy coat, black watch cap over his head. As Sam watched, he looked down at her legs and then dragged his eyes back upward to her face. They talked a few seconds more, and then he looked over his shoulder at whoever was calling him and started backing away. He gave her a quick wave and then walked around his SUV, climbing into the driver's seat. Sam came out of the store and watched as the guy pulled out of the parking lot.

"Who was that?"

Andy turned to look at him, startled. "Nobody. Are you ready to go?"

They were getting into the truck, waiting a few minutes while it warmed up before he asked again. "So who was that guy?" Really, he wasn't planning on it. His first inclination was to just let the situation ride and wait for her to bring it up. But he knew would be waiting forever before she felt the need to mention it and so he asked, expecting some sort of explanation, some denial.

"What guy?"

He gave her a look. "That guy checking you out when we stopped before."

She rolled her eyes. "Nobody you know. And he wasn't checking me out."

"How do _you_ know him?"

"I know people outside of work," she said defensively. "It's the same guy I talked to on our run last week. It's no big deal."

"Well, how long have you known him?"

"Maybe a couple weeks? Why?"

Sam paused, pulling the truck onto the road while looking over his shoulder.

"I guess I just thought you looked pretty friendly."

"That tends to happen when you're friends," she quipped. They drove on and Andy looked at him. He was visibly agitated. "God, what's wrong with you?"

"You mean other than the fact that you're giving me the run around?" She smirked and he felt it burst out of him. "Are you seeing this guy?"

She looked at him with an eyebrow raised, amused. She suddenly realized she hadn't told him that she'd been seeing a trainer. In all the confusion over who thinks what and what to do about their friendship, it had been put on the back burner for the time being. "You've got to be kidding me. That's why you're so bent out of shape?"

"It just seems a little soon," he said. She laughed at him. "It's not a joke."

"Are you sure? It seems pretty funny to me."

"Are you?" He raised his voice slightly, as he pulled the truck up to the curb outside of Kate's coffee shop. He threw it into park and turned to look at her, his elbow braced on top of the steering wheel.

"What exactly is your problem? That I might be seeing someone so soon, or that I might be seeing anyone at all?" she asked, intrigued.

"I'm just worried about you."

"You are so full of it. It _has_ been over three weeks since Luke and I broke up, you know. It might not be _that_long ago but it's not like it was yesterday." She reached over and turned on the radio. As she leaned back in her seat, he reached forward and hit the button, turning it off.

"It's a simple question, McNally."

"Do you even hear yourself? You sound completely ridiculous right now." She flipped the visor down, and while looking in the mirror, pulled her headband off and rebanded her ponytail. "And even if I am dating someone new, I don't really see how it would be any of your business," she retorted. She was trying not to enjoy this; he was starting to look really mad, but something inside her refused to give in.

"So you are?" He looked at her, accusingly.

"If I were, don't you think you'd be able to tell?"

"Oh, I think I've figured it out."

Andy slapped the visor back up, turned toward him, and pulled a knee up under her, getting comfortable; eyes narrowed with a slight smile playing across her face. He recognized that look. It was the calm before the storm. "Enlighten me. Where's your proof, officer?"

He shot her a dirty look. "Well, first of all, you've got containers from every restaurant in the neighborhood in your apartment. I doubt you're eating all that food by yourself, especially since you're training."

She shrugged. "Maybe I just like to eat. I do burn a lot of calories."

"You have two toothbrushes. Why would you have two toothbrushes unless someone was staying over?"

"Maybe I bought a new one and forgot to throw the old one out. I did throw it out a few days ago, by the way."

Sam felt a little of the wind go out of his sails.

"Your bed has been slept in, on both sides."

She looked at him a little disappointed. "That's thin and you know it." He raised his eyebrows and held his hands out, waiting for an answer. "Maybe I haven't been sleeping well. Maybe I toss and turn a lot."

"You've been taking calls in secret; leaving the room to answer the phone."

Andy looked at him, the smile dropping from her face.

"Is _that_ why you've been watching me like I'm some sort of criminal?" she asked suddenly humorless.

"Just answer the question."

"My dad has been calling me night and day. We've also been going out to eat a lot. That's where the take-out containers come in, in case you're wondering." Sam just sat there. "Anything else, Detective?" she asked snidely.

He clenched and unclenched his jaw. "The watch in the kitchen is his too, I'm guessing?"

She nodded. "He helps me do the dishes. I think it makes him feel like he's taking care of me. Are you finished?"

He hesitated, feeling deflated. "The rest is pretty weak," he admitted, his volume dropping a little.

"Weaker than a phantom toothbrush?" she asked, mockingly. That set him off again. This time, Andy yelled back.

* * *

><p>Kate looked out the glass door again. Sam and Andy had been parked at the curb in his truck for the better part of ten minutes. She poured two cups of coffee, covered, and slid paper rings around them. She stuck them in a carrier and walked to the door, leaning against the wall, watching them. There was obviously some sort of heated discussion going on inside. Sam's eyebrows were raised so high, they almost met his hairline, and she could hear the sounds of yelling from the doorway, although she couldn't distinguish any words. She couldn't see Andy's face, because she was turned toward Sam in her seat, her shoulder belt thrown behind her back.<p>

She'd been trying to deny it, but ever since she'd heard that Luke was no longer in the picture, she'd felt a little…uneasy. When she and Sam had first started seeing each other, his friendship with Andy had been strained, and so she hadn't really been too concerned. _But now…_She was mad at herself for even thinking about it. She refused to be the stereotypical jealous girlfriend. Maybe there was another way to look at it; something more proactive.

After another minute or so, Sam got out of the truck and slammed the door, stalking up to where Kate waited. He took the coffees from her and kissed her quickly. He shook his head, exasperated.

"Sometimes she just irritates the _shit_ out of me." He looked over his shoulder, shaking his head. "And she's doing it on purpose."

Kate smiled tightly. "If you two weren't bickering like a couple of old ladies at least once a week, I might think something was wrong. Am I going to see you tonight?" At his nod, she kissed him again, glanced one more time at Andy sitting inside the truck, and then walked inside, letting the door swing shut behind her.

* * *

><p>As Sam walked back to the truck, he contemplated pouring McNally's coffee out into the street while she watched, but got in and handed it to her anyway.<p>

"This better not be some sort of peace offering," she warned. "You're not my favorite person right now."

"Right back at you." He swung the car out onto the road and he drove towards her apartment.

"So, you're seriously not going to tell me?" he asked, as he put the truck into park outside her apartment.

"Tell you what?"

"About this guy? Are you seeing him?"

"His name is Cory, by the way. And haven't we been through this?"

"You still haven't answered the question."

She looked at him, and then away, trying to suppress the smile that was forcing its way through. "I _guess_ you could say we're seeing each other."

"How_else_ would you say it?"

She pursed her lips, trying not to grin. "I guess_I_ would say that I'm _paying_ to see him."

"Excuse me?"

"He's my trainer."

"Are you kidding me?"

She shrugged, trying to sound innocent. "I signed up for a trainer at the gym. He was looking at my knee because it's been bothering me a little, not because he's interested in me. I think his wife would probably have a problem with that."

He stared at her wordlessly and then turned back and started up the engine.

"Get out of my truck," he said quietly. She burst into laughter. "We've been screaming at each other for almost twenty minutes. This isn't funny."

"No, it's hilarious. The look on your face is priceless." He pointed to the door and she unbuckled her seat belt, grabbing her coffee from the cup holder. "Come on; you know you like to fight with me."

"Get out." She grinned and hopped out, still laughing to herself as he pulled out onto the road.

* * *

><p>Swarek wasn't quite sure how that happened. He'd meant to just get some answers. He'd interrogated murderers and kidnappers, and somehow he'd let her egg him on until he had completely lost whatever semblance of restraint he possessed. If she had just answered the questions like an adult instead of purposely evading him at every turn, his heart wouldn't still be threatening to leap from his chest. He pulled the truck into the alley, and then into his driveway. He stalked up the walk, letting himself into the house and pushing the door closed behind him. After kicking his shoes off, he went to the fridge, pulling out stuff for a sandwich. He slapped together meat, cheese and bread and started eating it as he walked from the kitchen through the living room and into the bedroom.<p>

He stripped, taking large bites, so that by the time his clothes were in a pile on the floor and his towel was slung over his shoulder, the food was gone and he was ready for a long hot shower. Sam walked through the hall into the bathroom, toes curling against the fibers in the bathmat as he leaned in and turned on the water. He looked at himself in the mirror as he waited for the water to come to temp and shook his head.

He was embarrassed; there was no other way to say it. He'd completely lost his cool. He'd been telling the truth; he _had_ been worried about her. At first. By the end, Sam was worried about himself. He didn't like the feeling that came over him when he thought she might be with someone else. It was sort of a sick feeling, like his stomach was turning. And he didn't like the desperate relief that was _now_washing over him. But he couldn't deny the adrenaline rush. She was right; he _did_ like fighting with her.


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note: I need to apologize for the fact that a storm knocked out my router and now my printer isn't talking to my computer and so I haven't been able to print out pages and edit them by hand like I usually do. I'm convinced that it's noticeable, but there's only so long I'm willing to wait to put these chapters out.**

**Keep your shorts on. There's only a couple of chapters left, but the good news is that I've already written most of the last chapter. Ok, I wrote it a few weeks ago. Why? Because it was so delicious I couldn't help myself.**

**Again, another thanks to Cocobean2206 for reading this through. I totally appreciate it.**

* * *

><p>The next day, back at work, Andy was perched on the corner of a desk, talking to Traci as she waited for Sam. He'd avoided her before parade, slipping into the room the second before it started and had disappeared right after, though she knew he was around. He finally zipped by her, saying, "McNally," sharply as he passed, not giving her a second look. Traci looked over her shoulder as he left the room.<p>

"What is his problem?"

Andy grinned. "We had a tiny fight yesterday. I guess he's still a little upset." She started to tell Traci about their argument, but as her eyes scanned the room, they landed on Sam in the doorway who pointed at his watch and then at the door. "Gotta go. I'll tell you later."

She got into the car, buckled her belt and they left. About a mile down the road she looked over at him, sitting silently as the voice on the radio chattered in the background.

"You're not seriously still mad at me, are you?"

Sam shook his head, his face deadpan. "Everything's fine. I'm not mad."

"Because you seem a little…tense." And he didn't look good. At first glance, it wasn't noticeable, but his eyes were tired, and his temper seemed a little short.

"I said I was fine, McNally." Traffic was thick this morning, people on their way to work, kids on their way to school. Andy didn't say anything for a few minutes, but when he kept silent, she tried again.

"It was nice of you to be worried about me. But I'm okay. Really."

"Well I wasn't worrying to be nice, so don't start sending me 'thank you' bouquets just yet," he said, keeping his voice neutral, his eyes on the road.

"And I'm really not dating anybody." She looked at him, out of the corner of her eye, but he didn't react.

Sam shook his head. "You were right. It's none of my business. And honestly, at this point, the less I know the better."

"Fair enough."

* * *

><p>Later that night, Sam parked at Kate's shop and walked the block to the bar. Monday nights appeared to be one of the slower nights. There were fewer than a dozen people scattered around the place. If he'd had to guess, he probably would have said that they were mostly regulars. Kate sat by herself at a table right next to the bar and she waved him over. She had a huge plate of nachos piled high with meat, cheese, black beans and vegetables and a bowl of salsa sitting next to a mostly full bottle of beer.<p>

As he walked up, Kate leaned over and signaled the bartender for another beer. He took a seat and after he got his beer, started picking at the chips. She watched him as he grabbed the one-page laminated menu, scanned it absently and then set it aside. His movements were slow, not as deliberate as usual, and when he sat at the table, he leaned into it, head resting on his hand.

"Are you okay?"

He raised his eyes to hers and nodded. "I haven't been getting much sleep lately." He waved a hand. "It's nothing."

"Why didn't you say something? I could sleep at my place, if you think that would help." She looked concerned, but Sam put his hand over hers.

"I like it when you stay with me."

She smiled, feeling a warmth spread through her. "So what happened today? Anything good?"

Sam sat back in his chair and drank down a third of his beer, mind running quickly over the events of the day. "Busted a couple of kids for possession, a few moving violations. Pretty typical day."

"You were with Andy today?" she asked, her tone light. He nodded, mouth full of food.

"How is she doing? I mean with the whole Luke situation."

He swallowed. "She's still got her sense of humor," Sam muttered.

"What was that?"

He waved a hand, dismissing it. "You've seen her; she's fine. She bounces back quick."

"Do you think she's ready to start dating again?"

He looked at her as he took a long pull of his beer, draining it, rolling her words over in his head. "That I couldn't tell you."

"You don't have _any_ idea?" She looked at him like she didn't believe him.

"I've been told that it's not really my problem." He waved at the bartender for another beer.

"I've been thinking we should ask her to come out with us on Friday."

"Here?" At her nod, he asked, "why?"

"I just thought she might want to come out and meet some new people, have a good time. My friend's band is playing this weekend." She paused, holding her bottle up, about to take a drink. "Girls like Andy don't usually stay single for long. I might know a couple of guys I could introduce her to. You're sure she's not seeing anyone?"

Sam was fighting to keep his tone even. "She said she's not."

Kate set her bottle down. "You asked her?" He nodded. "Why?

"I just had a feeling. I was wrong." He ate some more, washed it down with the beer.

"Well if you were getting that vibe off her, I'd say the mourning period is probably over." Her eyebrows were raised in question and he shrugged again.

"I guess I wouldn't know."

"But you'll ask her?"

"Hmm?" He looked up from the food to her face.

"To come out with us?"

"Yeah." He nodded a few times. "Yeah, I'll ask her."

"Great. Want any more, or should we go?" He shook his head and pulled out his wallet. While Kate drank the last of her beer, he studied her.

Even after he had convinced himself that McNally was with someone new, there'd been a tiny little ray of hope shining through his certainty, a silent plea that he was wrong. And he had been. But if Kate had her heart set on this, chance would not be a factor. She was someone who didn't take no for an answer. If she wanted something, she worked until she got it, and if she thought she could find someone for Andy, she wouldn't stop until she did. And there was nothing Sam could do about it.

* * *

><p>Friday night, Sam sat alone at the Penny. He swirled the scotch around in his glass and looked up as he heard her voice behind him. Andy nodded to him as she walked past, talking with Nash, Peck, Diaz and Epstein. He nodded back and then turned back to the bar. Sam felt a little ashamed of himself. Kate was supposed to be there any minute. It had been weighing on his mind all week, but knowing the purpose, he had never found the words to ask McNally to join them. It had helped that they hadn't been partnered together for the last three days, but he knew that was just an excuse.<p>

In fact, the more he considered it, the worse he felt. He knew it was ridiculous. He was going to have to get used the idea that eventually, Andy would move on. Just because Luke was out of the way didn't mean that there would never be anyone else in his place. He knew that it was selfish, but he didn't care, and didn't see any reason to help her out.

Andy walked over to him after she ordered drinks for her table.

"Hey."

"McNally."

She squinted and bent a little closer, looking at his face. "Are you alright? You look like shit."

"Thanks." He flashed a half-hearted smile. He'd maxed out on three hours sleep the night before and was feeling it. If he'd had his way, he'd skip this scene all together and go home, lock the door and pass out. If he could. He waved her away. "I'll be fine."

"I'm not quite sure I believe you," she said with a small smile. The guy behind the bar set her drinks in front of her and she looked at them and back at Swarek with raised eyebrows. "Guess I'd better get back. See you later." Diaz appeared at her elbow to help her carry them away and Sam tried with minimal success to keep his eyes off her as she walked away.

Andy had just taken her first sip when Kate appeared next to her. She looked up and smiled, a little surprised.

"Are you ready to go?" As usual, Kate looked fantastic. She had her hair pulled back into a thick ponytail that hung half-way down her back and was wearing a thin kelly green sweater that made her eyes pop. Over that was her leather coat, swinging around her hips as she turned. Andy felt strangely underdressed in jeans and a T-shirt. She nervously smoothed a hand over her hair.

"Ready to go where?" Kate looked over her shoulder at Sam, who was taking particular interest in paying his tab and was avoiding looking in their direction.

"I told him to invite you out with us tonight; apparently he forgot." She sounded annoyed. "Anyway, live band, dancing, lots of single guys."

"I'm not sure I'm really interested in dating right now," she said a little uneasily. Kate was looking at her with a probing expression.

"Then you should come just for the band. They're fantastic. I guarantee a great night. You don't have to work tomorrow, right?"

"Right, but I don't know…" Andy began, but Dov cut her off.

"Uh, will there be lots of single women at this place?" Dov asked, suddenly interested.

Kate nodded considering the question. "The single men usually go where the single women are, so I would say yes."

"I'm in."

"Yeah sure, everyone's invited," Kate said. "But we should get going."

Andy looked down at her full drink. "How about we meet you there? We just sat down. We'll finish up and take off."

"Sounds good. It's at that dive by my place." She looked around and smiled. "I guess I'll see you al there." Kate walked away, boots clicking against the floor, and Dov craned his neck to watch as she and Sam left.

"God, Swarek's girlfriend is hot." Andy gave him a dirty look. "What?"

* * *

><p>By the time Andy, Dov, Chris and Gail walked in, the place was packed. Immediately, Andy shed her coat; with all the bodies moving around, the heat was ridiculous. They weaved through the crowd, skirting servers with trays and drunk college kids with full beers, until they came to a tall table on the side of the room. It was actually two tables. Sam and Kate had pulled them together, and were sitting with their backs to the wall. They put their coats over the chair backs and sat down. Kate waved a server over and ordered a couple pitchers of beer. Andy looked over at Swarek on her immediate left as he spoke.<p>

"Where's Nash?" he asked over the noise.

"She had to get home." She looked around. "Is it always like this?"

He gave her a half smile. "Whenever there's music." Kate reached around Sam, sliding a plastic cup of beer over to Andy.

"Glad you guys made it." Andy flashed a smile at her, tucking her hair behind her ear as she turned around in her seat, scanning the room.

The band was certainly popular. The dance floor was packed with people, and those that weren't dancing were watching. The crowd around the bar was three people deep, and off to the side, there was a second exit that must have led to the alley. The door was being watched by a large guy on a small stool, who was holding the door open about six inches with the toe of his boot, letting the cool air swirl in.

Andy jumped as Kate appeared in front of her, pulling her off her chair. "There are some people I want you to meet."

Sam watched as Kate towed Andy around to various corners of the room. Across the table, Diaz and Peck were talking loudly into each other's ears as Dov stood with his back to the table, head turning anytime a pretty girl walked by. Which was often. Finally, he turned back and drank down his beer.

"Time to go show off my moves." He took a few steps and disappeared into the crowd as people moved in behind him.

Sam glanced down at his watch. Only a few hours until he could go home and go to bed. He liked the band, but his head was pounding, and the apprehension swirling around in his gut was making it hard to relax. He tossed back the last of his drink, emptying his glass and then reached for the pitcher and filled it with beer. The band quieted, left the stage for their break, but it didn't really help. Peck and Diaz were trying to make conversation with him now that the noise had been reduced. But he didn't really feel like talking and it was another fifteen minutes or so before Kate and Andy returned, trailing a couple of young, clean cut guys. Andy slid into her chair and gave him a look. The two guys sat in the two chairs between Andy and Gail, and Kate leaned over, shouting over the noise to introduce them to everyone. One of them was a guy who worked part time for her, Sam heard her say his name was Brian, and he was getting a master's degree in history. The other guy was his friend, and Sam didn't hear his name because he had stopped listening when he saw the way his eyes raked over McNally. Kate put her arm through his and he looked over, giving her a small smile.

He kept his eyes on Kate but next to him, he heard them making the usual uncomfortable small talk made by people who've just met. It was a small relief when he saw the band take the stage again, when the music rose up, preventing more serious conversation. The relief was short-lived however, when he saw "other guy" jerk his head to the dance floor, and Andy nod, smiling. As Sam watched, they were swallowed up by the crowd. He didn't notice when Brian got up and left, but at one point Peck and Diaz must have gone out there too, because when he looked down the table, they had disappeared.

Sam got up to use the rest room and on his way back, he thought he saw her, but people filled in and she was gone again and he looked at his watch again as he sat down. Over the next forty-five minutes, the crowd swelled and retracted and Sam caught sight of McNally a few times, hair swinging out in a wide arc behind her as one guy and then another would spin her around. Every time he saw her, she had a huge smile plastered across her face.

"She's fine." Sam looked over at Kate who took his hand in both of hers. "Andy's a big girl. I'm sure she knows how to take care of herself in a bar." She sounded a little annoyed, and he realized he'd barely said anything to her in a while. He turned his chair, aiming it more towards Kate and did his best to keep his eyes off the dance floor while they talked. Gail and Chris returned, and even Dov came back a few times, to order a round of shots, make some conversation. But Andy never returned.

A couple of Kate's friends came over and sat with them for a few minutes, and Sam tried, but he couldn't keep his mind in the conversation. He answered when he was asked something, but other than that, didn't contribute much. When they got up to move on, Kate leaned over to him.

"This whole protective brother thing was really adorable at first, but I'm having a hard time buying it now. She's fine." He turned to her, a little piqued, but Dov had just come back and he pulled Kate off her stool, and onto the dance floor. Sam observed them for a moment. When he watched them, he didn't feel anything. Not envy, or any sort of anxiety. Of course, he didn't really have any fear of Epstein moving in on his girlfriend.

Andy pulled away from the guy she was currently dancing with. She felt bad, but she couldn't remember his name. She waved a hand in front of her face, signaling that she was too warm and pushed her way off the dance floor to the bar to get something to drink.

Swarek saw her making her way across the room, and he slid off his chair, weaving through the crowd until he joined her. When he came up next to her, he could see her hair was tangled, her face flushed with pleasure and exertion. She lifted the heavy mass of her hair off her neck, throwing it up in a messy bun, and he could see the sweat shining on the back of her neck, short tendrils curling softly against her skin. She picked up her glass of water and took a long drink, draining half of it in one go.

"McNally."

She turned to him and flashed a huge toothy smile. "Hey. Wanna do a shot?"

He nodded. "Sure." He called the bartender over and ordered two shots of tequila. His eyes followed her as she raised her hand to her mouth, licked the smattering of salt off the back, and he did the same, clinking his glass against hers. He took the shot, feeling it burn all the way down. Making a face, she put the lime in between her lips and he mirrored her actions, feeling the acid burn his lips and the tart juice followed the liquor down. She put the rind on a napkin and licked her lips, smiling as her eyes met his.

"Thanks. You should really get out there; might wake you up a little."

He shook his head and leaned over. "Can we go somewhere and talk?"

She looked at him warily. The look in his eyes was new, unfamiliar. Almost predatory. "I don't think so," she said slowly. "I need to get back."

"I'm sure your fan club will be here when we're done," he said snidely.

She shot him a defensive look and shook her head. "No." She took a step, and then another and then stopped when his hand locked around her arm, pulling her back.

"I need to talk to you." He grabbed her wrist and pulled her with him to the side door. He gave the big guy a look and when he removed his foot from the door, Sam pushed through it. He didn't stop walking until they were around the corner.

Andy jerked her arm away and stepped up close to him. She pointed her finger at him, mere inches from his nose. "You have dragged me out of a bar for the last time, " she warned, her voice deadly serious. She turned to walk away and he put his hand on her shoulder and turned her back.

"We need to talk."

"Well, I don't want to talk. I'm having fun."

"Yeah, I noticed."

She fixed him with a warning in her eyes. "I'm going back inside before you say something you're going to regret." She turned and started walking away.

"Wait." She stopped, a step away from turning the corner. She could see the door from where she stood; there were a few people standing outside smoking, not really doing anything. She looked back over her shoulder and for a second, he felt like he had to catch his breath. "Just wait a second." She rolled her eyes and turned back, hands rubbing at her bare arms.

"What? It's freezing out here, so tell me already." She raised her eyebrows at him, giving him one last chance.

"You know why she invited you, right?"

She frowned slightly. "Yeah, she's trying to hook me up. She wasn't exactly subtle about it. So what?"

He hesitated, hands on his hips.

"You obviously have something to say. Just say it, Sam."

"I don't like it." The words were out of his mouth before the thought had even fully formed in his head. He exhaled loudly.

"Don't like what?" she asked.

"I don't like seeing you with those other guys," he admitted, his face unsmiling. They looked at each other, eyes locked together. She took half a step forward.

"I'm only going to say this once, so I want you to really hear me," she said quietly, the slow burn of anger falling away. She stared at him, eyes wide. "I'm not interested in meeting anyone new. I'm not interested in _any_ of those guys. So, it's really sweet, but you don't have to worry." They stood there a few moments and she turned around to leave and he felt the last of his resolve slip away.

He stepped up behind her, close enough so that she could feel heat emanating from his body against her back and his hands closed around her shoulders. "The way I'm feeling right now is definitely not sweet," he said, his voice low, rumbling in her ear. He bent his nose to the nape of her neck, inhaling her scent.

Andy felt her hands shaking. Actually trembling. She turned around, her body brushing his as she moved, and the second she faced him, his hands were cupping her face, fingers dug into her hair, and he was tilting her mouth to his. In the second it would have taken for their lips to meet, Andy pulled back. She put a hand on Sam's chest.

"Don't."

"Why not?" he whispered, his voice thick. His eyes were heavy-lidded as they moved over her face.

"This isn't…" she started and then stopped, taking a deep breath. "This isn't how this was supposed to happen for us," she said slowly. His eyes met hers and a long moment of understanding flashed between them. He leaned his forehead against hers and her hands moved up, fingers wrapping around his wrists.

"Andy…" he breathed.

She shook her head. "I swear you are one of the last nice guys left on the planet," she began, her voice unsteady. "Like an actual _good _guy."

"I'm not that nice."

"Yes, you are. And I'm not going to ruin that by letting you cheat on your girlfriend. Not even if it's with me." His fingers were rubbing at the base of her neck and it took every ounce of strength she had not to curl into his hands like a cat.

He took a deep breath, mouth open to say something and off to her left, the side door swung open with a screech and they sprung apart. Sam looked up and rolled his eyes, then turned around, rubbing both hands over his face. Andy looked over her shoulder guiltily, her hand going up to her hair automatically, tucking a few stray strands back into the elastic. Gail was standing there, a curious look on her face.

"What do you want?" Andy asked, quickly, feeling the cold air rush around her again.

"We were just leaving. I thought I'd check to see if you needed a ride."

"Yeah, sounds great. Let me just get my coat." Andy almost ran back inside, brushing past her. Sam turned towards them, eyes on the ground as he followed Andy. Gail made a little noise in her throat and as he raised his eyes to meet hers, she threw a disapproving look over her shoulder. "She's looking for you," she said as she walked in ahead of him.


	12. Chapter 12

**LONG Author's Note: Sorry for the wait on this part. Two days after I posted Ch 11, I fried my hard drive, and so every note that I had made for this part was lost, along with everything for the NEW fic I've been toying with. Suffice it to say, it was depressing and I was blocked for a long time.**

**Last time I said that there would be two more chapters, but I'm a big fat liar. I thought I could cram a bunch of stuff in to just a few pages, but ended up having to cut this one short (at 12 pages ;) ). So there will be at least 2 more chapters. However long/short they may be. **

**Originally I wanted to post 12 and 13 together, but if I don't post 12, I'll keep editing it over and over and never get to 13. **

**Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

><p>When Sam got home that night, he poured himself a liberal portion of scotch and took it with him into the living room. He wasn't expecting to sleep much after the events of the night and so he took off his shoes and propped up his feet on the coffee table and sat in the dark in front of the television. If someone had asked him the next day what he'd watched, he wouldn't have been able to tell them. He began to go over the events of the night.<p>

_When McNally and Peck walked left, he stood in the entrance, looking over the room. Kate was standing with Diaz and Epstein where the two tables were pulled together and as Andy and Gail walked up, they separated and Andy picked up her jacket and they left quickly. Sam took a deep breath and made his way over. Kate looked at him and raised an eyebrow._

"_Are you ready to go?" He nodded and as she walked past him, he put his hand on her shoulder and couldn't help but notice the way she stiffened when he touched her. They got outside and he turned towards the shop and she turned the other direction._

"_Where are you going?" he asked._

"_I'm going home," she said, as if it were obvious._

"_Let me drive you."_

"_I don't really feel like being in a car with you right now."_

"_Kate!"_

_She whirled on him. "Where were you?" _

_He took half a step back._

"_I went outside for a few minutes," he said, looking down at her, face giving away nothing._

"_With Andy?"_

"_It was just a few minutes," he said lamely._

"_Well, a lot can happen in a few minutes."_

"_Nothing happened," he said, not even convincing himself._

"_I don't believe you," she said slowly, articulating each word. "'Nothing' doesn't usually make people look as guilty as Andy looked when she left tonight. She could barely look me in the eye." He said nothing and she turned around again and stalked away._

"_Kate, come back here." He ran to catch her and she ignored him. He grabbed her elbow, pulling her to a stop. Finally she turned to look at him, rage shining in her eyes._

"_Sam, believe me when I say that you don't want to hear what I have to say right now. So just let me go home; it's just a couple blocks down. I'll talk to you in a few days." She walked away and after she was down half a block, he followed her. When he saw her walk into her building, he turned back to collect his truck._

And so he found himself at home, mind racing. For the most part, it was scanning over his last interaction with Kate, but every now and again, against his will, it would skitter off to earlier moments, to the look on Andy's face while she was on the dance floor, and then later when he had his hands on her, and her eyes had been a little frantic, a little wild. He drank down the rest of his scotch and turned, stretching out along the full length of the sofa. It was another hour or so before he finally dropped off into a fitful sleep.

* * *

><p>Andy lay awake Saturday morning, considerably ill-rested herself. She picked up her phone to check the time and, though she told herself she wasn't expecting anything, for missed calls and texts. She had none. She laid in bed for a few minutes, picking up where she'd left off the night before, trying to figure out what all this meant. She came to the same conclusion as she had the previous night. She had no damn clue what it meant. Irritated with herself and the situation, she got up and went to the living room with a couple of pieces of peanut butter toast. She did a round of pushups and another of sit-ups and because it wasn't distracting her the way she'd hoped, she cleaned her kitchen. And then her bathroom. She stood in her living room afterwards with her hands on her hips, eyes wandering randomly over the few items actually in the room. Her beige sofa had gone the way of her old bedroom set, sold for a couple hundred bucks, and now the room looked empty. Maybe it was time to finally bite the bullet and get a new one. And a coffee table.<p>

She pulled her phone out of the pocket of her pajama pants. Still nothing. They were supposed to run today, but she didn't feel like doing that many miles by herself. Instead, she went and put on jeans and a sweatshirt and stuffed her duffel with her running shoes and workout clothes. She threw on her coat and locked her door and walked down the stairs to the sidewalk, and her eyes slid over in the direction of Sam's house, but she turned in the opposite direction and walked to the gym.

She changed and stepped onto the indoor track. She'd gotten fitted for a new pair of shoes earlier in the week, and her knees were feeling better, so she did intervals, alternating longer distances and slower speeds with short bursts of higher intensity running, repeating until she got tired. Afterwards, she walked a couple of laps to cool down and did some work on the weight machines. Finally she went back to the locker room to shower and change for the walk home. After dressing, she looked at her phone again. Two missed calls. Her dad and Traci. Disappointed, she shoved the phone back into her coat pocket and slung her duffel over her head and shoulder and headed home.

* * *

><p>Sam woke sometime in the early afternoon. The week's insomnia had caught up with him and though he didn't exactly feel relaxed, he felt slightly more rested. He looked at the clock and felt his heart dip a little. Usually, he and Andy were almost done with their long run by this time of the day. He checked his phone but she hadn't called. Neither had Kate. As much as he was tempted to call Andy, he felt like Kate was more of a priority at this point and he dialed her. Her phone went straight to voicemail and he left a short message saying he wanted her to call him back, but he wasn't expecting much. She said she'd talk to him in a few days and he had a feeling she meant it.<p>

He looked around his house. Usually neat, there were dishes all over, books lying open, face-down on his bedside table, stacked on top of each other. There was a pile of dirty clothing in the basket in the corner that was slowly growing up the wall. It was the first day all week he'd had a chance or the inclination to take care of it and steeled himself and got started. As he expected, keeping his mind on the work was easier than dealing with the thoughts playing on a constant loop in his brain. By the time he was done, the sun was sitting low in the sky and Kate still hadn't returned his call. He argued with himself over just going to see her, but in the end, decided against it. Instead, he ran a few errands, made himself a late dinner and then went back to bed.

* * *

><p>By Sunday morning, she still hadn't heard from Sam and so Andy texted him about their long run. She knew it was only an excuse. She felt like she was in limbo; not moving forward or back; not knowing what was happening as a result of Friday night. Like she'd been left hanging. And she wanted to hear his voice. Wanted some sort of acknowledgement about Friday night. She tried to keep telling herself that the run was the important thing this morning. She'd already put it off a day, and since she'd decided that the 10K in a couple of weeks would be her practice run, and the half marathon was a little less than a month after that, she needed to stay on top of the long runs. She waited a half hour for a response and then getting nothing, called, but she was clicked over to voicemail after just a couple of rings. Angry, she hung up without leaving a message and went into her room and got dressed, jamming her feet into her shoes and pulling her hair back into a braid topped off with her hat and pulled on her jacket. The iPod turned on and clipped in at her waistband, she locked up the apartment and walked down the stairs, her gait morphing into a slow jog as her foot hit the snow-dusted pavement.<p>

She'd made the decision to bump this run up to 11 miles, but running 11 miles with no one there to push her was difficult, and Andy found herself dropping into a quick walk more times than she cared for and by the time she got home again, was frustrated with herself, furious with Sam, and exhausted. She ate and showered, then flopped down on her bed and burrowed under the comforter and napped. When she woke up an hour or so later, her phone still hadn't rung. It didn't ring for the rest of the day.

* * *

><p>Monday morning, Sam still hadn't heard from Kate and he stopped in to see her at work before he went in to work. She looked up as he came in and met his eye and walked into the back. He weaved through the chairs in the dining area and through the swinging counter door and followed her back to the kitchen.<p>

She was washing her hands in the sink and when he walked in, she moved to the back of the room and opened the cooler, pulling out eggs, butter, berries and milk. She set it all on the metal table against the wall and pulled flour, sugar, salt and a few other things from the shelf on her left. She reached for a large bowl and started combining ingredients before she spoke.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, her voice eerily calm. Sam had been expecting something else, a little emotion; a little ire.

"You weren't returning my calls."

She was mixing the stuff in the bowl with a tool he'd never seen before; it had a wooden handle set between the ends of 5 sharp-looking semicircles. "I was going to stop by tonight."

"So you're ready to talk, then?"

She smiled at the corners of her mouth and scattered flour over the tabletop. "Actually, no. I was just going to let you know that I was going out of town. I told you that my sister moved into a new house last month?" He nodded, wondering where this was going. "Well, they still don't have everything set up and they're still renovating a few rooms and I told her I'd come visit; help out a little."

"For how long?"

She shrugged, turning the dough out of the bowl and onto the flour. She separated it into 3 balls, kneaded each four or five times and then molded each into a large flat circle. "A week; maybe two if everything here at the shop is going well. I thought I'd leave after the truck comes in on Wednesday." She took a large sharp knife from the magnetic strip on the wall and started cutting, dividing the circles in half, and then each half into four. "I've already made out the schedules, and the food orders. I'll have to come back one day to take care of paychecks and to check in on things. If it gets crazy and they can't handle it, I'll only be a few hours away, but I'm not too worried."

She pulled out a large baking sheet and covered it with paper and transferred each of the wedges. He skirted the edge of the room as she moved past him briskly to put it in the oven. Then she turned around to look at him, wiping her hands on the towel tucked in at the apron strings crossed in front of her.

"So we're really not going to talk about this," he said meeting her eyes.

"At this point, I don't really know where to start."

"Start anywhere."

She stood there, eyes on the floor between them and then finally, she lifted them to his. "You have feelings for her," she stated, no question in her voice.

He stood stone-still a moment and then gave a short nod.

"And for me?"

"Yes," he said definitively.

She stood there a moment and then spoke again. "Do you know which of us you…um…" she paused and he shook his head.

"I _do_ know that leaving is not the way to deal with this."

"If it were anyone else, I'd tell them the same thing; they were crazy. But I need to." She looked at him, her eyes wide and clear. "I care about you, and I want this to work; and I think in a normal situation this _would_ work. But this is _not_ a normal situation. I'm not an angry or a jealous person, but every day, I get closer to becoming one and I don't like feeling like that. So I can either go away and think things over, sort some things out; or I can end it," she said matter-of-factly. Her words were clipped; her tone cool, clinical.

"Just like that."

She nodded. "Just like that."

"I can't understand why you can't sort things out here," he argued, raising his voice a little. "We can work it out together."

"And I can't think about this with you constantly in my face," she snapped. His eyebrows shot up and she closed her eyes a moment and held up a hand, shaking her head. "Sorry, I'm crabby today."

"No, I deserve it."

"Sam," she said, her voice tired, a little defeated. "The problem is that you have absolutely_ no_ idea what you actually want. And I don't know what else to do. You need to figure this out for yourself and I need to figure out if I can deal with the fact that you and Andy are always going to be a part of each other's lives or if I'm going to worry every time you see each other that you've realized…" She stopped, taking a deep breath. "Just let me do this, I need it."

He leaned back against the shelf; the metal supports dug into his shoulder, but he didn't move. "I think this is a huge mistake."

"You're right. It probably _is_ a mistake. And I know what I'm risking by leaving, but I can't stay here right now." She turned around, dismissing him, and pulled out another bowl and gathered more things from the shelf. A little helplessly, he watched her work for a few moments and then spoke again.

"Will you pick up the phone if I call you?"

She looked thoughtful for a moment and said, "Just call me when you know."

* * *

><p>Since his talk with Kate hadn't lasted nearly as long as he'd been anticipating, he found himself at work a little early and the longer he waited for the day to begin, the more he found himself spoiling for a fight. He'd been preparing himself for a real argument but when she'd just shut him down, he was unsatisfied and he felt it all still simmering inside him. He saw McNally come in, cheeks pink from the early morning chill, and as she passed him, she turned away when he said her name and went into the locker room.<p>

A little while later, he was walking to the parade room with Shaw when he saw Andy walk out of the locker room, hurriedly tucking her hair up into a ponytail as she walked quickly. She was scanning the room with her eyes, and when they landed on him coming towards her, she ducked into the equipment room. He left Oliver with a word and followed her. She was checking her duty belt when he walked in, her back to the door.

"Did you oversleep? You look in like you're in a hurry."

She shrugged, facing away from him. She'd only woken up fifteen minutes late, but it was late enough and she'd been forced to rush through her run and hadn't had the time to fully dry her hair after her shower, which would probably earn her a sharp word from someone.

He crossed his arms and looked at her through narrowed eyes. "You're avoiding me?" he asked, bristling.

"Yeah, well, you avoided me first," she said her tone flat. She turned to face the clearing tube and got out her gun and pulled back the slide.

"I see we've jumped right to the mature part of this conversation."

She pointed her gun ahead of her and looked at him out of the corner of her eye as she dry fired into the clearing tube. "And it was extremely adult of you to blow me off this weekend," she said stiffly. She put her gun back in the holster and ran her fingers around, checking her duty belt for spare magazines and handcuffs.

"Well, I thought it would be easier than making us both suffer through your new game," he sniped, circling around her in the tight space.

She turned to him, her voice taking on a warning tone. "What the hell is _that_ supposed to mean?" Her eyes flashed dangerously at him. Diaz walked in, saw them positioned for war and turned on his heel without a word and walked out again, pushing Dov out as he tried to walk in behind him.

"You know what I'm talking about," Sam said sharply. "Acting like everything's okay, everything is normal, even though it's obviously not."

"Look, I know you feel guilty or whatever. You think you made this huge mistake. But I didn't do anything, so don't put your shit on me," she said loudly.

Sam found himself fighting a smile. "Feel better now? Got it out of your system?"

Andy tugged at the bottom of her vest, pulling it down into place. "A little bit, yeah," she grudgingly admitted. "You?"

He nodded once, and flashed a quick grin at her, dimples appearing and disappearing rapidly. She turned away and faced the stand of lockers against the wall. "I'm sorry I didn't call you back. I'm still not really feeling that proud of myself, and I had stuff to deal with."

"Well, so did I," she said, her voice hard. "All you had to do was just tell me you were busy."

He stepped up to her and spoke firmly. "McNally, this isn't just about you and me, so just do me a favor and cut me some slack while I try to figure this out. You and I can have it out later."

Her fingers stilled as they moved over her radio and she looked at him, her volume dropping. "Does she know?"

He ran a hand through his hair, smoothed it down over the back of his neck. "She knows enough."

"But technically, nothing happened."

He gave her a look. "If there was one thing I realized this weekend, it's that whatever did or didn't happen, it wasn't nothing."

"I don't really care what it was," Best said sternly from the doorway. Their heads snapped in his direction and as he looked at them, Andy flushed to the tips of her ears. "You're both five minutes late for parade and there are people out here who for some reason are waiting for you to finish before they get into this room." Andy rushed out, and tried not to notice the people shifting their eyes away from her as she walked past them and into the parade room where Detective Barber was pointing to some pictures on the board.

* * *

><p>"So what did she say," Andy asked later when they were driving. He turned the car into a residential area, on the way to mediate an argument between two neighbors.<p>

"She said she's going to visit her sister," Sam said, his voice giving nothing away.

"Why would she do that?"

"She's…upset."

"Well sometimes you've just got to get away I guess," Andy said ambiguously, keeping her attention out the window.

Sam glanced at her quickly before he spoke again. "She says I don't know what I want."

"She's not wrong," Andy muttered under her breath and he looked at her and she met his eyes. "Well do you?" she challenged.

He looked away. "What do _you_ think?"

"If she thinks she can't deal with this here, maybe she does need to leave."

"Not about that," he said. "About the whole…" he made an encompassing gesture with his hand, rotating it at the wrist. "About the whole situation."

"You asked me to cut you some slack, and I guess that's what I'm doing," she said, sullenly.

"That's all you've got?"

"Excuse me if I don't really feel like baring my soul to you today."

Sam felt his temper about to snap and he opened his mouth to say something, but she spoke again.

"Since she's gone," she started and then paused. "I mean as long as this is up in the air, are there rules? I mean, can we still see each other?"

"See each other?" he asked.

She looked at him, an eyebrow raised. "Training? While you're figuring things out? I've got races coming up." The training was just a cover and they both knew it.

He felt some of the anger go out of him at the expression on her face and shrugged as he put the car into park in front of a large white house. "I'm not going to stop running with you, McNally."

She held back a smile and nodded. "Good."

* * *

><p>The next few days, they didn't have much opportunity to deal with it together, but then they weren't working together. Andy was paired with Gail the next day. The temperature had risen enough during the previous evening to rain and as a result, everything was covered in a thin sheet of ice the next morning. So the bulk of their day was spent responding to traffic accidents. It wasn't until later, when Andy was tired and annoyed by the inquisitive, probing looks Peck had been sending her way that she finally brought it up.<p>

"Look, about Friday night."

"Yeah. How about Friday night?" Gail asked with a smirk.

"What you saw, it wasn't what you think."

"Relax. I didn't see anything." Andy looked at her, disbelief apparent. "Fine. I didn't see anything good."

"That's because nothing 'good' happened."

"What about later? During the weekend? I hear you had some sort of intense moment in the equipment room yesterday."

"Nope."

"Too bad," Gail said, dragging out the words provocatively. Andy turned her head and looked at her curiously, a ghost of a thought brewing, but Gail didn't say anything else.

Finally, she turned away again. "He's taken. It wasn't really an option."

"Judging by the way he was watching you all night, I'm guessing he won't be for long."

Andy looked out the window. "I'm not holding my breath."

* * *

><p>After her shift with Peck, she spent the next at the front desk and then spent the next two days after that in a surveillance van with Shaw and Diaz watching High Park while Swarek was working speed traps with Nash, Epstein and Williams. She thought she'd been incredibly understanding and patient for the majority of the week, making polite if not friendly conversation in passing, but for some reason on Friday, she woke up in a terrible mood. When she saw Sam that morning, she nodded wordlessly to him and then walked away towards the parade room, frustrated and irritable. She spent the rest of the day in that mood, and she knew she was taking it out on the people around her, but she couldn't help it.<p>

Shaw pulled Swarek aside after shift and asked him about it. She'd been sulking all day, and when she was forced to actually give her input, she was brusque, almost abrasive. Sam looked up as she walked past them, gym bag slung over her shoulder on her way out of the building.

"Give her a break," Sam said. "She's got a lot on her mind." He turned to look at Oliver who was staring at him suspiciously.

"And you?"

Sam hesitated. "I guess I've got a lot on my mind too."

Shaw took a deep breath and nodded. "Why do I get the feeling that this is just the beginning of a really long story?" He clapped a hand on Swarek's shoulder. "Let's get a drink."

* * *

><p>She hit the gym after her shift even though she was tired and after she took out her frustration on the stationary bike, Andy walked out of the locker room, bag slung across her back. She approached the counter, intending to walk right past it, but stopped when she saw the poster for the 10K. She stepped up and filled out a registration form, pulling out her wallet to dig for the fee when she paused and then set her form aside and grabbed another. She filled out the second one and then handed both, along with the money, to the guy behind the counter and walked out the door.<p>

* * *

><p>Swarek and Shaw found themselves sitting at the bar at the Penny an hour later, Sam already on his second, and Oliver sipping thoughtfully as Sam laid out the events of the last several days.<p>

"It's kind of ironic if you think about it. A little role reversal."

Swarek looked at him, annoyed. "Save it. I'm only telling you because I need advice."

"Well," Oliver said, pausing dramatically. "It sounds like you need to work it out before someone gets really hurt."

"It's a little late for that," Sam said somberly. "I've been going over it for days and I'm not any closer now than I was before. I mean, how do you make a decision like this?"

Oliver looked over at his friend and pushed his beer aside. "Buddy, I think at some point you just feel it." He put both his elbows on the bar and folded his arms. That's how it was for me and Zoe. We'd been dating for a while, and one day it just hit me, like that." He snapped his fingers. "Instinct. I just knew that she was the person I was supposed to be with."

McNally had said something similar during their last undercover operation. At the time, she'd been playing a part, and they'd both been in very different places, personally. He'd felt a tugging at his gut then, but had shoved it down, ignoring it. He looked up as he heard the door swing open and saw her come in, coat buttoned up, bag hanging at her hip. She spotted him and made her way over. As she approached them, she spoke.

"Hey," she said nodding at both of them. She turned her eyes to Sam. "I don't suppose I could catch a ride with you?" He nodded and put away the last of his drink and stood up. He put a hand on Oliver's shoulder and said goodbye and they left.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Swarek picked her up for their run. They were going to try for 11 again. Andy ran down the stairs, a knapsack over her shoulder, her step a little lighter than it had been the day before. She climbed into the truck and he pulled it away from the curb. They'd dropped off their water bottles and were trying to find a place to park the truck when he noticed she was fidgeting with a rolled sheet of paper between her hands.<p>

"What is it, McNally?"

"I kind of did something, and I'm not really sure what you're going to say."

"What is it?" he repeated, keeping his attention on the traffic.

"I registered for the 10K next weekend."

"So?"

"I registered you too." He glanced over at her and she rushed on, turning in the seat and gesturing nervously. "Look, I know you said you're busy, or whatever, but clearly you're not. And it's my first race and I don't want to run it by myself."

He was quiet and then glanced over at her again. "You paid the fee?"

"Yeah."

He nodded. "Sure. Give me the time and place and I'll be there," he said, his tone all business. But he grinned at her when he saw the surprised look on her face. "What?"

"I just never expected you to give in so easily." She handed him the crumpled paper and he stuck it in the console between the seats.

He pulled the truck into a spot and put it into park and grabbed his hat off the dash.

"Can't let your money go to waste, right?"

* * *

><p>The place they'd chosen to run that day wasn't protected by trees or tall buildings and the wind was blowing hard. Andy felt it bite a little at her ears and she pulled her hat down lower. The sky was gray and looked like it was about to drop snow on them at any second. So they started, running against the wind for the first stretch, the cold taking nips at them through the layers of clothing. To Andy, it felt like even though she was using more effort than usual, she was only striding half as far, almost like running through water. On the other hand, when they turned the corner, and then another corner a few miles in, the wind pushed her, making her practically fly down the road. Inside her mittens, she flexed her fingers which were a little numb at the tips. They made the first loop of the route, but as they approached the truck, made a mutual decision to quit for the day. Swarek's face was red at his cheeks and the length of his nose and the warmth generated by physical activity was quickly dissipating as they slowed.<p>

They climbed into the truck and drove back to his place, bursting through the door as soon as he unlocked it. Andy removed her coat, shoes, hat and mittens and rubbed her arms to bring the blood back. She hadn't planned as well for the cold and wasn't wearing her warmest gear. Just the walk from the truck to the house had chilled her through her coat.

"They're having a race in that next week?" Swarek asked. "Are you serious?" He moved over to the coffee pot and took everything out, getting it started.

"People race in the winter all the time," she replied defensively. "It'll be spring in a month; maybe there will be a heat wave next weekend."

"Yeah, I'm sure that's what will happen," he said sarcastically. He filled the reservoir and flipped the switch and Andy walked out of the room, and down the hall to the bathroom with her bag. Once she'd shut the door, she started shedding layers, finally stripped down to her sports bra and underwear. She pulled on a pair of heavy sweatpants and then ran a wet hand over her face and under her arms, rinsing the sweat away. She knew it was stupid, but if she had any chance at all with Sam, she wasn't going to waste it sitting across from him smelling the way she did. Afterwards, she pulled a clean T-shirt from her bag and went back to the living room.

Sam started pulling stuff out of the fridge for sandwiches and he caught a glimpse of Andy in the living room. She'd changed her clothes and pulled a blanket from the corner of the room. She wrapped it around her shoulders and sat on the couch, pulling her feet up under her.

Can't get warm?" he asked loudly from the kitchen.

"Better now," she replied, reaching into her bag for her log.

He pulled his phone off the table. No calls. No texts. Against her wishes, he'd left a message for Kate in the middle of the week and had texted her a few times, but she was serious about not talking to him for the time being. She was always in the back of Swarek's mind. He still wasn't sure what he _would_ say if he ever got her on the phone, but he felt he should talk to her, if only to even things out because without meaning to, he felt himself sliding back in time whenever he was with McNally. It was like muscle memory. It felt natural for him to be in this place with her, almost to the point of being involuntary. And the longer Kate stayed away and ignored any attempt he made to get ahold of her, the farther backwards he slid.

He put the sandwiches together and carried them out to the living room, biting into his as he read over her shoulder.

"Are you ever going to let me look at that thing?" he asked, holding out her plate. Andy jumped, holding the book up against her chest, as she turned her head to look at him, ponytail swishing over her shoulders.

"Not today," she said smartly, closing it and putting it on the table in front of her. They ate on the sofa with their feet propped up on the coffee table, crossed at the ankles. Andy flipped through the stations on the television incessantly, unable to settle on anything and Sam settled in, leaning an elbow on the arm of the couch, resting his head in his hand. His eyes started to droop and then he felt her get up, and watched her walk to the bathroom.

Keeping his eyes on the hall, he snatched her log off the table and started paging through it, intending to put it back as soon as he heard her return. When they'd started running together, he'd felt like the expert with the distances under his belt, but as he tried to make sense of the abbreviations and numbers, he admitted that as far as dedication to the sport went, she'd surpassed him long ago. It was like reading another language…or a code. He squinted a little trying to decipher it, and decided to skip over the confusing parts and started skimming her notes. She had made notations about every run, every cross-training day. Sometimes they were a simple "good run today," but other times she'd run on for a paragraph about her breathing or a pain in her foot. He had just flipped to the page with the calendar when he heard her say, "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

He froze and raised his eyes to hers, flashing his dimples in a guilty grin. "Busted." She reached for it and he held it out of her reach, trying to scan the calendar quickly while walking around the couch. She climbed up on the couch and reached over the back snatching it out of his hands, and closing it with a snap.

"You're an ass," she snarled.

"What's in there you don't want me to see, McNally?"

"You don't share every one of your secrets with me," she said, tucking the book back into her bag.

He held his hands out in front of him. "Ask me anything."

"Yeah, right," she muttered. "You're not exactly the definition of an open book."

"Seriously. I'll tell you whatever you want to know." He walked into the kitchen and she followed him. He poured them both coffee and handed hers over.

"You'll tell me anything," she asked, not quite believing it.

"Yep."

"Well, I guess there was one thing I was kind of curious about."

"Lay it on me."

He'd just brought the cup to his lips when she smiled mischievously. He took a sip and she spoke. "Did you have sex with Gail?" He choked on his coffee as it slid down his windpipe, bringing tears to his eyes. Andy held back a laugh, sneaking a sip of her own coffee as he coughed loudly.

"Why would you ask me that?" he asked after he could breathe again.

"Just something Gail said the other day. And I did see you leave together the night we got cut loose. It's no big deal. I was just curious."

Sam was quiet.

"So?"

He cleared his throat and scratched his head. "Is that your business?"

"You told me to ask anything," she said with a satisfied grin.

He looked at her, at the smug expression on her face. "Almost," he admitted after a moment.

"How close were you?"

"McNally."

"What? Are you shy all of a sudden? How close were you?"

He turned his head and looked at her. "Not as close as I was with you the night the lights went out." Andy felt the blood rush to her cheeks and looked away, putting the cup up to her face to hide her self-consciousness. "Yeah, I thought that would shut you up," he said with a smirk. He held out his hand. "The book?"

"Not a chance."

* * *

><p>On Sunday, Andy took a rest day. She ran some errands, did some shopping, and somehow ended up in a furniture store. By the time she was done there, she'd purchased a few end tables and a brand new couch. While a little more expensive than she'd planned for, it would at least liven up her apartment a bit. She went home with a little spring in her step, imagining how nice it would be to come home after work and stretch out on it.<p>

Work was hectic for the next few days for some reason and with an inordinate number of arrests, the paperwork was quickly multiplying on her desk and the sofa was soon forgotten until Sam drove her home on Wednesday and she was gathering her stuff together off the floor and she heard him say "What's that," as he pulled the truck up to the curb. He was leaning, pointing across her at a large plastic-swathed red blob sitting on the porch of her building. Next to it were a couple more smaller, dark blobs in plastic.

"Oh damn," she said, jumping out of the truck.

He followed her.

"I forgot they were delivering my stuff today. I was supposed to come back and open up for them on my lunch break." She looked over at him and a pleading smile spread over her face. "I don't suppose you'd want to help me with this? I'll spring for a pizza after."

He nodded, lifting the plastic covering the couch, trying to gauge size. "Yeah. I guess I can't turn down free food. Let's take the small stuff up first."

They got the tables upstairs with no hassle, and Sam pulled the plastic from the couch, balling it up and threw it into the hallway. They pulled the cushions off and stacked them next to the stairs and each picked up an end.

"At least it's not too heavy," Sam said as he adjusted it in his hands. "Nice color, by the way," he said. Andy couldn't tell if he was kidding or not.

"Lots of people get this color," she said defensively. "Do you want to be on top," she asked, tilting her head towards the stairs.

He raised his eyebrows and a smile played at the corners of his mouth.

"You know what I'm talking about," she said sternly. He laughed to himself and she rolled her eyes and backed up to the stairs. It went up fine, although instead of turning it, they had to flip it over the banister. The problem came after they'd argued a bit about how best to get it through the door. Andy swore it would fit through as it was, but it must have been slightly wider in the middle because even though the end fit through fine, after five minutes, they had the couch wedged in the doorway, her inside, him outside.

She was mad because she'd been wrong and was feeling defeated because no matter how hard she pulled on it, it wouldn't budge.

"Don't hurt yourself; we've got a race on Saturday," Sam warned, trying not to laugh, but a snicker worked its way out and she shot him an irate look before she kicked it, leaving a dusty footprint on the fabric.

"Hey, don't break it before we get it in there," Sam warned.

"It's never getting in here. It's going to sit in my doorway forever," she complained,

She bent down to pull at it one last time, hands wrapped over the top of the arm and slowly, she raised her eyes to his, determination glittering in their depths and Sam felt it. Instinct.

It wasn't like Oliver had said. It wasn't instantaneous. It wasn't like snapping his fingers. It was like an awareness; a _rightness_. It started in his gut and spread through him like wildfire as he watched Andy struggle and storm at the couch. It crept into every cell in his body, flooding him with feeling. He could have sworn that in that moment, every hair on his body was standing on end as he watched her.

Andy was swearing under her breath and pulling at the sofa with all her strength, her hair escaping its binder and falling into her face. She let out a loud growl through clenched teeth and let go, settling her hands on her hips and exhaling in frustration. "What?" she snapped, seeing him staring at her.

"Nothing." Sam blinked and took a breath, mentally shaking himself. "This isn't working," he said. "Let's push it back out and try something else." It slid back into the hallway with Sam pulling hard and Andy pushing against it and they manipulated it, turning it on end and rotating it through the doorway. They finally set it down in the middle of the room and Sam ran his finger over the fabric in the back, smoothing out the indent from the doorframe. Finally, he looked at her. "Where do you want it?"

"I don't even care anymore. It can stay there for now." She wiped the back of her hand over her forehead and walked into the kitchen to get flyers for pizza. "At least we worked up an appetite. What kind should I get?"

"Actually I have to go."

She looked at him, surprised. "Where? I thought we were eating."

Sam paused a moment, waiting for some part of him to argue with his decision, to disagree; but all he felt was _sure_. He just said, "I have to take care of something."

"It can't wait?" She looked a little disappointed and he almost gave in, almost stayed; but in the end, he shook his head.

"Not really." He smiled at her. "I'll see you tomorrow."

He went home and sat down to make what he hoped was the last phone call.

* * *

><p><strong>Note: Thank you again to Cocobean2206 for letting me send her scads of useless writing while I was blocked. I appreciate her help more than I can ever say.<strong>

**Also I'm not exactly sure about what happened with Swarek and Peck the night the rookies were cut loose. I have my suspicious, but I gave Sam the benefit of the doubt this time.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Note: This is a LONG chapter. And it's incredibly RUN heavy. For those of you who don't enjoy the running parts, feel free to skip over it. But expect the next few chapters to also be run heavy. Esp. Ch 15 and the Epilogue.**

**Thanks to: EVERYONE for reviewing. I LOVE them. Seriously it's a major addiction. To Cocobean2206 for putting up with my neuroses and my incredible insomnia during the writing of this chapter. To the public library for putting up with me 2 hours a day (even though I wish I could use the computers longer than 2 hours in a 24 hour period) while my laptop is being fixed. To Pandora for always giving me awesome music, and to the Hungry Jack pancake mix people. Seriously, I may have starved to death this week without you.**

* * *

><p>Three days later, on the first Saturday in March, Sam stood outside Andy's apartment. He heard music blaring through the door, even at the early hour. He raised his hand to knock on the door, and then put it down again. Kate had been gone almost a week and a half, and she hadn't returned any of his calls. Not even the ones he'd made every day since he'd last stood outside this door. He knew the last couple of messages had been terse, impatient, telling her that it was time to come back. He couldn't leave the message he wanted. The one that said he was ending it, that he'd finally made a decision. And each day he waited, was another day he found himself waiting to come clean with McNally.<p>

Luckily, McNally had been distracted. She didn't appear to notice that he was anxious. Each of the last few days had seen an increase in her stress level; her nerves about the race making her unable to communicate anything but work and running for the last 48 hours. But today wasn't a day to worry about his relationship with either Kate or Andy. There were other important things to worry about.

He raised his fist again and banged loudly. Andy pulled open the door and he walked in behind her. She moved away and shut off the stereo and continued to scramble around her apartment. She was fully dressed, her shoes on, her hair pulled back. She already had her bib number pinned to the front of her jacket across her middle. He leaned against the wall, and watched her move anxiously from room to room checking to make sure she had everything.

"You're really nervous," he said, concerned. "Did you eat anything?"

"A little. What's the weather like?"

"Well, it's not a heat wave, but better than I expected. Cold, not much wind. Should warm up a little bit by the time it starts. You have my number?" She grabbed a plastic bag off the counter and tossed it at him as she walked into the kitchen and took a drink of water. He sat on the couch, which had been pushed up against the wall and opened the packet, dumping it onto the new coffee table and picked through the T-shirt and flyers and pulled out the race number and the safety pins. By the time he had it attached to his fleece zip-up sweatshirt, she was standing by the door, looking ready, if not exactly confident.

"It'll be okay," he said, trying both to calm her and to not be amused by her anxiety.

She nodded distractedly and opened the door and they left. She'd asked Cory about a million questions over the last week about where to go, where to line up, what about bathrooms, what about water stations. The list was unending, and he'd done his best to answer them, but she knew she'd never feel fully prepared until she was actually there, taking everything in.

They drove to the gym and took the shuttle over to the site. Traci was supposed to meet them and hold their coats while they raced, but Andy didn't see her right away. The race wasn't due to start for another half hour or so, and they walked and jogged around, doing what they could to warm up their muscles before it started. Cory said that throughout the year, one could expect anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand depending on the size of the race and the time of the year, but there must have been only a few hundred, all shapes and sizes. She guessed that the number of racers ballooned exponentially as the weather grew warmer, and she tried to imagine how many there would be in three weeks at the half. Swarek was talking to her, but she only caught the end.

"What did you say?"

"I said usually in crowds this big, we'd be in uniform."

"I think we kind of are," she said, looking down at their clothing. After a while, she just relaxed and started absorbing everything. Finally, she heard Traci calling her name and they went over to meet her.

"Hey, thanks for doing this," Sam said as he and Andy shed their coats and handed them to Traci.

"No problem. Get's my kid away from the TV for a few hours. Leo's on the playground with my mom." She looked over her shoulder. "He'll probably be there the whole time. But good luck!" She put her hand on Andy's arm. "I'll see you at the finish line when you get done."

There were the die-hard racers who gathered at the front of the crowd, the newer slower runners were toward the back. Sam and Andy wedged themselves somewhere in the middle, and a minute or two before the gun went off, he looked at her and asked, "So how do you want to do this? Do we stay together, or is it every man for himself?"

She gave him a look and said "What do you think?"

He grinned, rubbing his gloved hands together. "So, I'll see you at the finish line then?"

"See you at the finish line."

They started together. They had to. The crowd of people around them was thick, so thick that Andy couldn't actually get up to the pace she wanted to be at for a while. After the people in front of them thinned out, the faster runners pulling ahead and the slower dropping back, Andy felt the adrenaline of the race pumping through her, and she picked it up. Even as she did it, she knew she should be saving her energy; the 10K wasn't the goal after all. It was practice, but the competitiveness of the event got the better of her. Beside her, Sam was making it look effortless, so neither of them was running as fast as they could.

Sam looked over as Andy surged forward. Others fell in behind her and even though he sped up, she lost him eventually around the third mile. At one point, he slowed, approaching a water station and then after drinking, tossed his cup and regained speed. As hard as everyone was running, most people had smiles on their faces, some were even holding conversations. He exchanged a few words with a couple next to him, and then picked up the pace again.

Andy was trying to control her speed. She knew that if she didn't stay settled into a steady speed, she'd burn out by the last mile and so she slowed just a little. She was keeping up with the people around her and along the sides of the street, crowds gathered at corners and random points and shouted encouragement to the runners. She noticed that some of the racers had their names written on their shirts, so some of the spectators were calling out to Amy or Mike and she grinned to no one in particular, making a mental note to herself for next time.

Sam hit mile four and started to push it. He'd been saving his energy for the end and started passing people. He was feeling pretty good; muscles were a little tired, but still felt strong.

When Andy turned the corner at the last quarter mile, she could see the finish line and she lengthened her stride, sprinting toward it. As she neared, she saw Traci with her mom and Leo standing off to the side, waving and cheering. Andy grinned at them as she crossed, blowing through quickly and then dropping to a slow jog and finally to a walk as she got out of the way for the rest of the finishers. Someone handed her a finisher's medal and she put it over her head, taking the paper cup filled with lemon-lime sports drink and found Traci. She stood at the side with her and waited for Sam to cross.

About five seconds after Andy crossed the finish line, Sam turned the same corner. Like her, he ran even harder towards it. But he was caught in a larger group of people and they all crossed together, amid screams and calls from the crowd. He heard someone yell "Swarek" loudly and he looked around, but didn't see any familiar faces. He was handed a medal and a cup which he drank down and crushed in his hand and finally tossed into a nearby trash can. As he walked away from the finish line, chest still heaving, he scanned the faces.

People were everywhere, walking with their friends and family, taking pictures, hugging, stretching. There was an area set up beyond the crowds where people were slowly gathering. It appeared they had food, some sort of hot beverage in electric warmers; coffee or hot chocolate, along with bottles of water. There also appeared to be a medical station and the people were pressing together, trying to push their way through the crowds.

He looked at the people moving in front of him, searching for McNally. He was pretty sure she'd finished ahead of him, but after he lost her in that third mile, he only saw her once, and she had been pretty far ahead of him. He turned his head as he saw of flash of something off to his left and then all of a sudden, she was right in front of him and she was throwing her arms around his neck in the excitement of the moment. He put his hands on her back and as she leaned lightly against him, his arms slid around her and he pulled her in, folding her body against his, face pressed into her shoulder.

After the constant motion of the day, the early wake up, the nervous rushing around beforehand and the push through the race at a pace above the usual, for Andy, it was nice to just be still. And as she felt his arms wrap around her, she relaxed against him, the rustling of her jacket the only noise made by either of them as they stood, leaning into each other, just breathing. They stood together, motionless as people rushed around them, the crowd swelling as more people crossed the finish line and made their way over to the food and awards. Then Sam exhaled, his breath warming the skin of her shoulder and neck under her clothing and she shivered a little and pulled away. She smiled at him, and pulled the medal out of his hand.

"I think you're supposed to wear this," she said and put it over his head.

By this time, Traci had caught up to them. She had Leo by the hand and her mother was carrying their coats. Andy reached for hers but Traci pushed her back.

"Hold on," she said. "Let me take a picture." When Andy made a face she said, "You'll thank me later." Sam and Andy posed a few times and then Traci handed over their coats and they went home. Left alone, the two went over to start stretching and to get something to eat.

* * *

><p>Andy woke the day after the 10K to a banging on her door. She checked the clock and groaned. She'd been planning on sleeping in, but clearly someone had other plans. She yawned as she walked to the door. She checked the peephole and then opened the door, her hand moving up to smooth her hair.<p>

Sam stood there, a very alert smile on his face and she moved back, letting him in.

"Do you have any idea what time it is?"

"The sun's up; quit whining. Get dressed." He looked at her, ran his eyes over her from head to toe, lingering on her bare legs.

"Why?"

His head snapped up. "Well I thought that I'd better fit in more short runs if we're going to do the half in 3 weeks."

Andy looked at him, surprised, trying unsuccessfully to suppress a smile and then turned around, walking into the kitchen for something to drink. "Today's not a run day," she said trying not to make a big deal out of his change of heart.

"Who cares? Eat something, get dressed."

She poured herself a short glass of juice and took a drink and thought for a second. "I have a better idea." She looked him up and down. "You're going to need to lose some of those clothes."

* * *

><p>A half hour later, they were both standing in the gym. They'd had to go back to Sam's so he could pick up shorts and it had taken some work, but she'd managed to sweet talk the guy behind the counter into giving her four guest passes, instead of the usual two reserved for potential customers. They had changed and laced up their shoes and were now programing their treadmills for hill workouts. They got on and did a few minutes at a steady pace at a zero incline, and then every few minutes, they would alternate, bumping the grade up for a spell, running a little slower, and then decreasing it again to recover. As they ran, Sam watched a few girls come in and get on the elliptical trainers in front of them. They were obviously not there to get exercise. They were dressed expensively in shoes that looked like they'd never been worn and they were decked out in full makeup, hair pinned carefully back. They looked back at Andy sweating her ass off and smirked as they programmed the resistance on their machines to the lowest setting and started moving. Sam glanced over at Andy and smiled a little, seeing how hard she was working, even though if she felt like he did, her hamstrings were screaming, both from the hills and from the race the day before. Then as the incline increased again he attempted to shut everything else out and focused on the hills he still had ahead of him.<p>

After a half hour or so, they sat next to each other in a little carpeted room off to the side of the conditioning room and stretched. He watched her as she sat with both legs out in front, wrapping her fingers around her toes and holding the position for forty-five seconds or so, releasing and repeating a few times. He copied her, feeling the stretch along his back and the length of his thigh. She turned her head, caught him looking at her and waited until he raised his eyes to hers.

"Didn't anyone ever tell you that staring is rude?" she asked with a grin. She pulled her legs back, pressing her feet together, pulling them towards her with knees bent out to the sides.

"Yeah, sorry," he said, but he couldn't stop. She turned away again and bent one leg, pressing her foot against her inner thigh and reached, grabbing her foot with her hands, and he did the same. He felt that stretch start at his knee and run all the way up the back of his thigh. After maybe thirty seconds, he felt it begin to loosen and he released and repeated. Then he switched legs. Andy got up to stretch her calves on an incline board and Sam followed her with his eyes. It had been a long time since he'd seen her in running shorts. Her legs only looked better, and the shorts shorter. Despite the air conditioning, he felt another prickle of sweat at his forehead that had nothing to do with exercise, and he finally looked away. He stood up and stretched his quads and they walked back out to change into long pants for the drive home.

Afterwards, she walked out of the locker room, and he took the duffel from her and put it over his shoulder. "Thanks," she said. "I don't think I'm going to be able to walk tomorrow." The girls from earlier were standing at the snack bar, hair still perfect, clothing barely even wrinkled and Andy saw them and self-consciously ran a hand down the length of her messy ponytail. Sam frowned and slung his arm over her shoulder and squeezed her against his side.

"You look great. Knock it off." He released her then, but selfishly left his arm over her shoulder, liking the feel of her near him.

She rolled her eyes and then shook her head. "I look awful. But thanks anyway."

* * *

><p>Sam dropped her off at her apartment and she got showered and changed. Traci was due to pick her up an hour later to go shopping. They walked around the mall for a few hours and then unable to help herself, Andy dragged Traci to the running store.<p>

They were coming out, her two bags weighing down her arms when she smacked into someone, knocking her head against his shoulder.

"Hey," he said as his hands shot out, and wrapped around her arms, steadying her. She looked up in surprise.

"Luke. Hey," she replied. They looked at each other, both a little in shock and then he grinned nervously and she released the breath she'd been holding.

"How've you been," Andy finally asked, still a little surprised. She hadn't seen him since the day he'd left for the cabin without her.

He nodded a few times. "I've been good. Great even. You?"

Andy shrugged with a smile. "You know. Same stuff. I ran my first race yesterday," she said grinning, still feeling proud.

"She's telling everyone that," Traci said from behind her as she juggled her shopping bags. "I swear she had a half hour conversation with the guy at the counter before I got her out of there."

Luke looked down at Andy's bags. "It looks like they saw you coming."

She made a face and waved a hand. "Most of it was on sale."

He looked between the two of them. "I was just about to stop at the corner for lunch. Do you want join me?" Andy glanced at Traci and then nodded.

"Sure."

Luke moved forward to take some of Traci's bags and they walked next to him down to the little restaurant on the corner. As Luke moved ahead of them to talk to the hostess, Traci gave Andy a little nudge. When she looked over at her, Traci mouthed _What are we doing?_

Andy shrugged and held up her hands in helplessness.

After they ordered, Traci excused herself to call home and Andy sat there awkwardly with Luke as the polite conversation stalled, hands cold as they wrapped around her glass of water.

"It's actually a little strange that I ran into you today," Luke said, out of nowhere.

"Why's that?" she asked.

"I've had a box of your stuff sitting in the back seat of my car for over a month now, and I just had to take it out yesterday to make room and now it's sitting on my kitchen table. Too bad I didn't see you a few days ago."

"I thought I got everything," she said, disappointed.

"It was just some clothes from the dryer; some things you left in the car."

"Well, I guess you can just drop it by anytime. Or I can come get it, if that would work out better."

"I can bring it by on my way to work sometime this week, if you'd like. It'll be early though."

She nodded. "That would be great." She thought about it for a second and then looked at him again. "What did you need to make room for?" He looked a little uncomfortable.

"Actually, a couple of kids." Andy's brows drew together in confusion, not quite a frown and then she got it.

"You're seeing someone."

Luke nodded. "Yeah, she's got two girls, three and six. We went to the zoo." He smiled a little.

"God, that's weird," Andy said. "Good, I mean. Just strange, you know. I guess I'll have to get used to seeing you with someone else," she finished with a slight smile.

"Shouldn't be too hard. This is the first time I've seen you since January." He raised his eyebrows.

"Yeah." She pushed her plate back. "Listen I should apologize for how that happened. I shouldn't have been so…absent. I'm sorry."

"Andy, it's over and done with. We've both moved on."

She nodded, taking a sip of her water.

"So what about you? Are you seeing anyone?"

She shook her head. "Uh, no, actually."

"Really." He sounded like he didn't believe her. "I guess I thought you and Swarek…"

She shrugged. "So did I," she admitted. "But things are a little complicated right now."

"Aren't they always?"

Andy thought about it, about that moment the day before when everything had slowed down between them. "Not always," she said. "Usually," she corrected with a laugh. "But not always."

* * *

><p>On Monday, Andy declared a real rest day. She stretched out in bed, languidly, and then sat up as she felt the tight muscles on the backs of her thighs.<p>

"I knew it," she muttered. She got out of bed and hobbled to the bathroom. After splashing some water on her face and brushing her teeth, she took some Aleve and got in the shower, hoping the hot water would help loosen everything up. It didn't help much and so before she got dressed, she sat on her bed in a towel, massaging each thigh slowly. After spending five minutes on each leg, she felt a little better and got ready for work. Her only consolation was that Sam was probably feeling worse than her.

* * *

><p>Because they'd raced on Saturday, Andy hadn't fit in her long run during the weekend, and so when Tuesday rolled around, they decided to squeeze in a night run after work. Instead of driving somewhere unfamiliar, they stuck to the neighborhood, planning on doing several laps on their old route. He met her at her apartment, and after watching her walk up, he noticed the belt at her waist.<p>

"What's that?"

"A present. Well a present for me. But you can use it." She spun around slowly so he could see her new water belt.

"I thought you didn't want one of those."

"Yeah, well, it was on sale and I thought I'd try it. I'm allowed to change my mind."

And even though she had avoiding buying one, she had to admit it was much more convenient than having to lay out water bottles before a run. After she got used to the jostling, the slight swing, it wasn't so bad. The problem came after the first couple of miles when she slowed to take a drink and Sam watched her reach back, trying to extract the bottle from the belt. It was new, and she wasn't used to it yet and she turned around once in a little circle like a dog chasing its tail before he reached out and stopped her.

"Here, let me do it." She was facing him, and he reached his arms around her waist, to the back of the belt.

"What are you doing?" she said, holding her arms up, hands falling tentatively on his arms. Looking down at the mere inch of space between their bodies, she suddenly found it hard to breathe.

"Just give me a second," he said softly as he leaned into her a little, looking over her shoulder at the belt. Finally, he just grabbed the belt with one hand and the bottle with the other and pulled it out. Stepping back, he handed it to her and she took it from him, stepping back and turning around, taking a drink. She passed it back to him, and after a few seconds, felt him slide it back in the holder and they started again.

* * *

><p>It wasn't until they were back, standing next to each other on the steps stretching that Sam brought it up.<p>

"I wanted to tell you that I'm ending it with Kate." She froze, bent over, her hands at her ankles, and looked over at him. "If she ever gets back anyway," he muttered.

"Ah…uh when did you decide that?" she asked, straightening up, a little lost for words.

"Last week."

"Why are you telling me?" she asked as she sank down onto the steps. He sat down with her.

He shrugged and turned his head toward her. "I wanted you to know."

"So why didn't you tell me last week?"

He smiled. "You were nervous about the race." He paused. "And because I thought you'd look at me like…well kind of like you're looking at me now and I wouldn't be able to leave your apartment." She had her head turned slightly, and was looking at him eyes still wide with surprise, a small almost hopeful smile curling the corners of her lips. Her ponytail was hanging low over her shoulder and when she looked away, she flipped it back.

She swallowed, mouth dry and sucked in a breath. "So what's keeping you from staying now?" He didn't answer right away and she looked at him again and their eyes held.

"Honestly, not very much," he admitted. "So you should probably go upstairs."

She stayed put for the moment.

"What does this mean for…"

"For us?" he supplied. "I guess we'll talk about that either when I hear from her or when I stop waiting for her to call me back." He stood up finally, started backing down the walk.

She nodded. "Okay."

"Okay," he repeated. She stayed stuck in place for another couple of seconds and then started up the steps. "McNally," he called after her as he backed away from the building. "I'm only waiting three more days."

* * *

><p>Wednesday morning, Swarek and McNally were riding together. Both were a little worn out from getting to bed so late the night before and there was a palpable undercurrent running between them. The words "three more days" kept sneaking into Andy's brain and she was doing her best to ignore it, but it was becoming impossible. They'd been driving for most of the day, stopping intermittently to answer calls, to stop for lunch. They were maybe a half hour from reporting back to the station when an old, beat-up Chevy came barreling around a corner and blew through a stop sign. Andy flipped on the lights and got on the radio, alerting dispatch to their position, and she gave them the plate number. After maybe thirty seconds, the car pulled over onto a quiet street in front of a broken down store-front and just sat there. Andy made a move to get out and Sam waved her off. "I've got this one. You can get the next one." He exited the vehicle, and Andy smiled, watching him saunter off to the offending vehicle.<p>

He was standing at the driver's door when dispatch came back over. "1505, please be advised, that vehicle was just reported as having left the scene of a crime. Driver is wanted in connection to an armed robbery." Andy's head snapped up and she said "Copy that. Send backup."

She scrambled for her belt and by the time she got the door open, she saw Sam raising his hands up in front of him and through the back window, could see a handgun sticking out the driver's side window, pointed up at his head. Her heart slammed against her chest and she drew her gun and made her way up to the other side of the vehicle. Her legs felt like they were encased in cement and the entire time she was moving, she was sure that she would be too late, that as she approached, she'd see him fall, but she reached the passenger-side door and Sam was still standing. The driver must not have expected two officers in the car, because he had his eyes on Swarek and hadn't seen her. She was breathing heavily and for a moment heard only the blood rushing in her ears and then she heard him talking slowly and calmly to the driver.

His eyes flashed at her once and she reached out and checked the handle. Locked. She looked up and heard Sam say, "You need to put that gun down right now, because if you don't, my partner over there _will_shoot you." The driver didn't appear to believe him and didn't turn around until Andy tapped the muzzle of her gun against the window loudly and then he snapped his head around quickly to look at her. But that instant was all Sam needed to step out of the way, towards the back of the vehicle and draw his own gun.

Andy heard the sirens of their backup in the distance and she yelled, "Drop the gun and get out of the car."

He was hesitating and Sam said, "Drop it now. If you exit the vehicle before that gun is on the ground, one of us will have to shoot you." Still, it sat there. "Drop it now!" he yelled one last time, his heart hammering against his chest. After another moment, the gun fell to the ground and Sam kicked it under the car. Keeping her gun trained on the window, Andy wiped one of her hands against her pant leg, and then the other one.

Sam was directing the guy to open the door from the outside, which he did. He was instructed to put his hands on his head and step out of the vehicle. Andy walked around the front of the car and held her gun on him. By the time two more squad cars rolled up, Swarek had the guy flat on the ground with a knee in his back and was cuffing him. Andy still had her gun out, still had it trained on him and her hands were shaking, a fine tremor running through her. Sam pulled the guy off the ground and passed him to Shaw and Peck who threw him in the back of their car. Sam stepped up to Andy and reached out, putting a hand on her arm, and pressing it down, lowering her gun. She raised her eyes to his and he saw something wild like fear in them. He looked over at Shaw and said, "We're going to stay and check out the car. Get him back to booking, would you?"

Shaw took one look at Andy and nodded. "Yeah, no problem. See you back there."

Sam looked at Andy as she put her gun away. "We need to finish here, are you alright?" She exhaled loudly and nodded, and he saw her clench her jaw and the rigid way she was holding herself and then she walked back to join the two guys from the third car, looking underneath the car for the gun. Sam went back to their squad car and grabbed the duffel out of the back seat. As he bent down to retrieve it, he paused for a second, closing his eyes and blowing out a long breath. If it had been a different car at a different time; if the guy had just pointed and pulled the trigger instead of hesitating long enough for Andy to run up to the car, he'd probably be on his way to the morgue with a crater where his face used to be. He took another few breaths, trying to calm his heart and then pulled the bag out, slamming the door.

* * *

><p>After they got back to the station, and finished filling out all the paper work, after they'd gone into interrogation with the driver, they sat in civvies on the bench outside Best's office. He was in there talking to Shaw and Peck, since Sam and Andy had been busy, but they were up next. Andy sat not six inches from him and he could see her hands flexing and unflexing in the fabric of her jeans. Out of nowhere, she spoke.<p>

"I was thinking about that statistic. You know the one they tell you in the academy, about how a large number of officer deaths are due to shootings at routine traffic stops. But I couldn't remember the number," she said, almost as an afterthought. "I just kept thinking…" She stopped, and looked at him, her eyes a little wet.

"What?" She shook her head. "Just say it, Andy."

She sucked in a breath. "I just kept thinking, _That's it; he's dead_." She ran her hands up and down the legs of her pants, and he could see them still shaking as she stared across the room, mind clearly still back on the street. He reached over and covered her hand with his, first intending to still it, and then found himself clutching it tightly, holding it on the bench between them. She gripped his hard and exhaled and then looked at him. "Are you really okay?"

He'd come close a couple of times, but before, he'd intentionally placed himself in harm's way, like when he'd been undercover. To have his life saved by a series of coincidences was unsettling and he squeezed her hand once, nodded and leaned back against the wall, closing his eyes.

"Sam, I…" She was looked at their hands, and she tried again. "Does it ever seem like sometimes you just feel so much more than you know how to say?" He opened his eyes and looked at her, but she had her eyes down and he nodded, more to himself than to her.

"Sometimes," he said quietly.

They sat silently together for a few more minutes. Then the door to the office opened, and Andy dropped his hand, blinking rapidly to clear the unspilled tears and stood up.

They walked up, and as they passed by Shaw and Peck, Oliver reached out and put a hand on Sam's shoulder and squeezed it once and then walked away. Gail looked once at Andy's face, and as Sam walked past into the office, grabbed her arm and said quietly, "you need to pull yourself together." Andy looked over at her and forced a smile and nodded once, taking a deep breath, and then walked into the office. She sat in the empty chair in front of the desk where Best was already talking to Swarek. Then he glanced at her and leaned back in his chair.

"Ok, let's start at the beginning." Sam started talking, and Andy found her voice, which steadied and got stronger with every word she spoke. She told of how she got the call from dispatch and then requested backup and got out to help. Sam finished the story and Best sat there a few seconds and then nodded.

"Alright, I have everyone's reports and we've got the video from the squad car, so we'll go everything again tomorrow, and hopefully, we can get this matter finished up. Swarek, I called the department shrink as soon as Shaw and Peck got back and she's waiting to talk with you before she leaves for the night. You can go when you're done. McNally, you're free to go now, unless you think you should go talk to her also."

She shook her head.

Swarek sat forward in his chair and Frank held up a hand before he said anything. "Don't argue. In situations like this, it's policy and you know it." He leaned forward and closed the file in front of him. "We'll talk more about this tomorrow."

They got up and walked out and Andy looked at him. "I can wait for you. I'll wait until you're done." He shook his head.

"Catch a ride with someone else and get some sleep. We can talk tomorrow." She nodded and stood there, looking at him for a few seconds and then turned around and went to find Traci.

* * *

><p>When Andy got home, she took a beer from the fridge and walked to the window and looked out on the dark street below, taking down half her beer in one long pull. She kicked off her shoes and pulled the binder out of her hair, unraveling her braid with one hand as she made her way to the bedroom. She dropped her clothing on the floor in a pile and walked woodenly to the bathroom, turning on the water in the shower, and flipping the power switch on the radio. As the song switched to something loud with a lot of electric guitar, she climbed into the shower. She leaned against the wall, letting the water pour down on her as the stress of the day finally broke that thing inside her. That thing she'd been holding so tightly to in order to keep herself from losing it. The water ran down her hair, over her face, washing away the tears she knew were falling, drowning out the sound of muffled sobs. After a few minutes, she sniffed a couple of times, and pushed the wet hair out of her eyes. Today had been too close. She hadn't been able to say it while they were sitting there, watching all their coworkers mill around, shooting them inquiring glances. But this ridiculous stalemate of theirs was ending, one way or another. There was no way she was going to let anything happen to him without him knowing how she felt.<p>

She got out of the shower, and wrapped herself in a towel and picked up her phone, but his number went straight to voicemail_. Ok, tomorrow it's ending_, she thought to herself. Tomorrow they started the night shift, and would be working it until Sunday morning, but they'd have some time in the afternoon before they had to report for duty.

She was excruciatingly tired. Her arms felt heavy, like dead weight hanging from her shoulders and she shuffled into the bedroom, pulling out a pair of light cotton drawstring pants and a T-shirt. She pulled them on and then dragged a folding chair from the closet into the bedroom and hung a blanket over the curtain rod to keep out the light that would inevitably be pouring through in the morning. She looked at her phone once; no calls, no messages. She clicked the ringer off and set her alarm for 1 PM. If for some reason she _did_ sleep that late, it would still give her enough time to fit in a run, and relax, and talk to Sam before she had to leave for work. She turned off the light and lay down, and passed out.

* * *

><p>When Sam walked into his house, it was late. He'd been at the station for at least another hour after McNally left and then had gone to the Penny. He'd had one drink and then, unable to sit there while everyone else was cheerful, and having a good time, had driven home, passing by her apartment on the way home. Her windows had been dark, so he didn't stop, even though he wanted to. He walked to the counter and pulled out a glass and poured himself a second drink, intending to take it to the living room and just sit quietly for a few minutes before he went to bed, but he saw a light towards the back of the house and he tensed, grabbing his gun and followed it.<p>

He stepped up to the doorway of his bedroom and saw Kate in there, shoving clothing into a bag. He tucked the gun into his waistband and crossed his arms, leaning against the door frame.

"Were you even going to say goodbye?" he asked.

She stilled, and then turned around. "I thought you'd be here, but you weren't. And then I thought I might leave a note, but it seemed like a cliché." She started moving again, refolding a shirt she'd pulled out of a drawer. "I did call before I came over, but your phone's either shut off or the battery's dead." She gestured to the grocery sack sitting at the foot of the bed. "I brought your stuff back." He looked at it with little interest and pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. Dead. Perfect. He plugged it in at his bedside table and looked back at her.

"When did you get back?"

She hesitated, pushing her hair over her shoulder. "A few days ago actually."

"A few days," he repeated icily. "I called you every day for the last week."

She looked away and nodded, picking through the closet one last time. "I guess it took longer to work up the nerve to come over than I thought it would."

He stood there for a moment and then sighed, feeling the fight go out of him as exhaustion started settling in. "Well, you couldn't have picked a worse day for it,"

"Yeah, mine hasn't been great either."

"Unless you were almost shot in the face today, I'm probably going to win," he mumbled, taking a large swallow of his drink.

She looked at him, eyes wide and stood up straight. "What happened?"

He shrugged. "I've already told the story too many times today."

"Give me a summary," she said, sitting down on the bed.

He had his head down, and nodded. "Guy pulled a gun on me after we pulled him over, McNally distracted him and we got the gun away."

She nodded quietly, her eyes still a little wide as she processed what he'd said. He looked at her bag, zipped and sitting on the floor.

"You weren't even going to wait to hear my decision?" he asked.

"Let's just say that I had a feeling it would come to this," she said thoughtfully. "This _was_ going to be your choice, right?"

He nodded. "Yeah."

She paused and then turned to look at him. "You're in love with her."

He nodded. "I am." He rubbed a hand over his tired face and after holding everything in all day, the words just came pouring out of him. "We…we just fit. I don't know how or why, but we do. And I didn't realize it until today, but I just…I kind of need her. And I haven't needed anyone in a very long time." He took a step forward when he saw the barest flicker of hurt pass over her eyes. "But it doesn't mean that I didn't –" She held up a hand, stopping him.

"Let's just not, okay? My goal is to get out of here in one piece." She stood there silently for a second. "And you were honest, so I suppose that's something." She walked up to the bedroom door and he held out a hand, putting it on her arm.

"Just wait. You need to hear this." He paused and looked her dead in the eye. "I want you to know that I meant every word I ever said to you."

"Oh, God," she said. "Can I have some of that?" She took the glass out of his hand and finished it.

"Everything I felt for you was real," he continued quietly. "I wasn't just passing time with you, waiting for something else to come along. This situation with Andy has just gotten too big for me to ignore and it wouldn't be fair to you if I kept trying. I just want you to know that I'm sorry."

"Wow, you really are good at delivering bad news, aren't you," she said with an uncomfortable laugh, blinking back tears. They stood there together a few moments and then he stepped back.

"Do you want one more?" he asked, nodding at the glass in her hand.

She nodded and they turned and walked down the hall to the kitchen. Putting the bag over her shoulder, she said, "You know, I think that's the most I've ever heard you say at one time."

He laughed. "I have my moments."

* * *

><p>He'd forgotten to reset his alarm for later in the day, and it went off at 5:30, buzzing angrily from the bedside table. He reached out and hit the snooze button, laying there with his face in the pillow for a few more minutes. He and Kate had sat at his kitchen table talking until around midnight when she left, and though he knew she was probably asleep, he called Andy and left a message. He rolled over in bed and sat up, scratching his head. If he had his choice, he'd go over there now. But he decided to give her a few hours to get moving first. Standing up, he pulled on some clothing and went into the kitchen to make coffee and do a load of dishes while he waited for time to pass.<p>

Andy woke early Thursday to a pounding at her door. She checked the clock. Her alarm wasn't due to go off until later. Like five hours later. Sighing, she got out of bed and grabbed her robe, swinging it around and tying it in the front. She checked the peephole and opened up the door to let Luke in. He closed it behind him, carrying a cardboard banker's box under one arm.

"Where do you want this?"

She waved a hand. "Anywhere is fine," she said yawning. "I don't suppose you brought coffee?"

He smirked. "Sorry, no."

"Figures." Still mostly asleep, she moved to the kitchen and started filling the appropriate containers. He stood at the counter and watched her.

"I know I'm early, but I warned you."

"You did. It's fine. I'm on nights so I'll just take a nap or something later." She turned around, leaning against the counter, arms crossed as she yawned again. "So what's in it?" she asked nodding to the box.

"Just some CD's, clothes. Stuff like that. Obviously nothing you've been missing too much," he said smiling. She nodded and stuck a couple of pieces of bread in the toaster.

"Are you hungry? I'm cooking. You can have bread, toasted or untoasted. Or cereal. I have cereal. I might have milk."

Luke waved her off, laughing. "I already ate, but thanks."

He turned around, looking at the apartment. "I like what you've done with it."

"It's a little unfinished, I guess. New furniture though."

"Yeah, the couch is…a bold choice."

She shrugged. "I like it. Do you mind if I," she gestured towards the bathroom.

"No, go ahead," he said, sitting down. She padded to the bathroom, used it, washed her hands and face and brushed her teeth. On her way back, she grabbed her phone out of her bedroom. She turned the ringer back up and noticed she had a couple missed calls. She dialed her voicemail as she walked back into the kitchen. Luke was pouring coffee. He sat down as she pulled her toast out and started smearing peanut butter on it, sandwiching the phone between her ear and her shoulder. He walked over to the window and looked out on the street below. Andy kept her eyes on him as she listened to the first message from her dad and then deleted it. As raised the toast to her mouth, she heard Sam's voice in her ear.

"_McNally, I guess you're sleeping. Anyway, I just talked to Kate, and I want to see you. So I guess I'll come over tomorrow, whenever I wake up." _There was a short laugh and then,_ " if I sleep at all. Anyway it'll probably be early. See you then."_

She looked over at the clock. 7:30 am. "Shit!" Andy put her food down without even taking a single bite from it and flew out of the kitchen. "Luke, you've got to go." He turned around quickly.

"Why?"

"You just do. Sorry, I know this is rude, but I've got somewhere I need to be."

"I thought you were working nights," he said confused.

"Will you please just get out," she said, grabbing him by the elbow.

"What about my coffee? It's your cup."

"Keep it." She opened the door, but he didn't move. She stepped into her shoes, reaching down to pull them up around her heels and yanked him out the door. "Here, I'll walk you out." He was laughing, purposely making it difficult for her, and she followed him in her robe and pajamas as he ambled down the stairs and out the front door. She walked down the steps and to the curb, waiting as he slowly made his way to the car. After he'd finally gotten into it, she walked around and tapped on the driver's side window. When he rolled it down, she leaned inside and impulsively kissed him on the cheek.

"I really am sorry about everything. The way things were with us, and especially me kicking you out this morning, but if you knew, you'd understand." He laughed.

"Why don't you just tell me?"

"I would, but I don't have the time. Now leave."

"Don't worry about it. I'll see you some other time." She stepped back to the curb and he drove away and she raised her hand in a wave.

* * *

><p>Sam stood half a block down, on the other side of the street, frozen in place. He'd seen them burst out of the building, Andy wearing only her pajamas in the cold morning, cell phone clutched in her hand, snow drifting down lazily onto her shoulders and hair. And Callaghan looking incredibly pleased with himself, a cup of coffee in his hand. He saw her lean in the window, spending much more time than he thought necessary for friends to say goodbye. He saw her turn and wave and then she turned again, towards him. As he stared at her, he felt numb. He had no words, just an emptiness filling him from the ground up.<p>

Andy waved as Luke drove away and then turned to her left, to go back up to change into her running clothes, but movement down the road caught her eye and she looked over. She recognized the heavy coat, the stiff set of those shoulders inside that coat, and the expression on Sam's face as he stared at her. She raised a hand in a wave, face starting to break into a smile. Without waving back, he slowly turned around and started walking away from her.

Her heart skipped a beat as she looked at the sleeve of her robe as it fell to her elbow, and understanding crashed into her. "Sam, wait!" she yelled and hesitated for a moment as she thought about running upstairs for her coat. But he wasn't stopping. Finally, she just took off, running across the street and then sprinted down the block. By the time she reached him, he'd hit the corner and she stopped short to avoid crashing into him. Then she put a hand on his shoulder and pulled him back to face her.

"It's not what you think," she said quickly. He was looking over her shoulder, deliberately not meeting her eyes and she said it again. "It's not what you think." This time slower, quieter.

"McNally," he started, heard the catch in his voice, and cleared his throat. "You and I haven't made any promises to each other," he said, his voice hard, cold as ice. He laughed bitterly. "When I told you to catch a ride with someone last night, this wasn't exactly what I meant. But I guess you're free to see whoever you want, even if it's Callaghan," Sam finished in a low growl. She stood back, dropping her hand from his arm, automatically placing them both on her hips.

"The hell I am." His head snapped up to look at her. "I am not _free_ to see _anyone_. I've been waiting months for you." Andy took a deep breath and got ready to yell. "If you think we put up with all the shit we've been through only for me to…"

Sam cut her off, pulled her in and slanted his mouth over hers. She tore away, and tried to say it again. "I don't want to be with anyone but you." He took her face in his hands, and his mouth sank down onto hers again and Andy gave in, sighing into him as she leaned against him, wrapping her arms around his waist. As she stood there, she felt something inside her start to slowly uncoil and after a minute, she pulled away and looked at him, running her cold hands up under his jacket and shirt, laying them low on his back. He hissed in shock and tried to pull away but she held him tight and grinned at him impishly.

"So what do you want to do now?" she asked.

* * *

><p>Note: This wasn't how this chapter was supposed to end, but let's just face it. I caved. Once I had the idea, it kind of took over.<p> 


	14. Chapter 14

**Note:OMG incredibly long chapter. I meant to post this on Monday, but my sister is getting married in two days and all hell is breaking loose around here.**

**Oh, and remember how I keep saying "two chapters left, two chapters and an epilogue, three chapters left...", well, don't listen to a damn word I say. I have no idea how long this thing is going to be. If I'd known this would end up being over 11,000 words, I would have split it up. Oops ;)**

* * *

><p>Originally, the plan was for Andy to get changed so they could run and then go get breakfast. <em>Originally<em>. In hindsight, it might have worked a little better if Sam hadn't gone upstairs with her because on the way, either he reached for her, or she grabbed for him and suddenly, all bets were off. They came together outside her door with a clashing of lips and teeth and tongue. As Sam leaned into Andy, holding her tightly against him, she fumbled behind her back with the knob until finally the door fell away, and they stumbled inside, kicking it shut it loudly behind them.

The way he kissed her… Almost like he thought every time might be the last time. Every time his mouth touched hers, every time his hands skated down over her. It was almost desperate, like he couldn't feel enough of her, couldn't get enough of her. Andy sucked in a breath, leaning into his hands, up against the length of his body.

The heat of her skin through her clothing, the feel of her body pressed against his was something he'd long thought just out of his reach, but she was here, responding to his touch. The robe fell from her shoulders and clearly incapable of any rational thought, he reached down, grabbed the hem of her shirt and pulled it over her head in one motion. He tore off his own and then their shoes and pants were kicked away, scattered to various corners of the room as Sam lifted Andy, settling her legs around his hips and made his way back to her bedroom.

* * *

><p>Sometime later, Andy woke. The sun was being blocked out by the blanket over the window, and rays were leaking in around the edges, casting patterns of light on the walls around the room. She was on her side, her back pressed up against Sam's side. Her head was resting in that place where his shoulder met his chest and as her eyes opened, she smiled. She ran a finger along the muscle in his arm, watching it twitch a little in his sleep.<p>

She carefully sat up, looking over her shoulder at him. Andy reached down and pulled the comforter off the floor where it had fallen a few hours before. Dragging it around her shoulders, she sat cross-legged at his hip. She ran her eyes down the length of him, starting at his head, over his chest and sheet-swathed hips to his feet sticking out the end up against the footboard. His face was relaxed, shaving a few years off his age and his hair was stuck out in all directions. His left arm was stretched up, bent at the elbow, hand beneath his head. His other hand was resting on his stomach, fingers gently curved, relaxed.

Andy pulled the blanket closer, shivering involuntarily as she remembered how those hands had fisted in her hair, dragging her mouth back to his. They'd moved up and down her sides, splashing heat over her skin wherever they touched. There'd almost been a sort of desperation to it. They'd been feeling so much for so long and today, all it took was a single spark for total combustion. She combed her fingers through her hair a few times, trying to steady herself, and then reached out to him. She ran a finger along the smooth curve of muscle covering a rib and then flattened her hand over his chest, feeling his heart beat strong and slow beneath. In a move that took her breath away, his hand moved up and closed over hers and she gasped.

"Go back to sleep, McNally," he whispered, opening one eye to look at her.

"You go back to sleep," she hissed.

"Yeah, well, I think most cops are light sleepers," he said, covering his mouth as he yawned.

"You just look different," she said as an explanation. And he did. She'd seen him without a shirt before, she knew his face almost as well as she knew her own. But something had changed. From the point of his shoulder to the turn of each wrist, every detail was dazzling, standing out with a clarity that hypnotized her. He sat up under the sheet, shattering the reverie and reached for her, pulling her close to him so he could kiss her. And when he sat back, he closed his eyes briefly, breathing deeply.

He reached for her under the blanket; it fell away and he turned, pulling her with him, under him. He leaned up on an elbow and gently raked the hair out of her eyes, running it between his fingers for a moment. Andy's hand curled up, gliding up his chest and around to the back of his neck. "This may sound incredibly lame, but do you think we should maybe have gone to dinner or I don't know, had even one date before jumping right into bed?" she asked as she grinned at him.

He laughed wryly. "First of all, if you ask any guy that, he's going to tell you 'no'. Second, dating is for people who don't know each other. I think we know each other better than most people do when they start sleeping together."

She nodded. "That's what I was thinking too," she said. And then she looked up with her eyebrows raised, wrinkling her nose with a smile on her face. "But I'm still going to want dates. You know, where the guy pays."

"I already pay," he murmured, dipping down to brush his lips across hers.

"So you're saying you want things to stay the same?" she teased.

"The same as this? Yeah. That would be fine with me," he whispered. His thumb moved over the scar above her eyebrow and like he did the night she got it, he gently tucked her hair behind her ear. He covered her mouth with his, and after a few slow, slow moments, he pulled back, resting his forehead against hers. She slid her leg up his, wrapping it around his hip as he pressed kisses on her face and jaw, moving his mouth against the skin of her shoulder. He hadn't shaved before coming over and his whiskers gently abraded her skin and she shivered.

"What are you doing," she asked, laughter in her voice.

He laughed, a rumble that vibrated against her skin and she put her hands on either side of his face, turning it up so he would meet her eyes.

"For once, you and I are going to do something right," he said with a sly smile.

"I'm pretty sure we did it right the first time," she said, anticipation knotting pleasantly in her stomach.

The smile spread into a mischievous grin. "That's what you think."

* * *

><p>At one, Andy's alarm went off. Feeling like she'd barely rested at all, she turned under Sam's arm and reached over him to hit the button on the alarm.<p>

"Hey, it's time to get up." She yawned and swung her legs out of bed. She reached down and fumbled on the carpet for clothes. His hand snaked up and grabbed her around her waist, dragging her back down. His left arm was under her, wrapped across her chest, pressing her tightly against him from shoulder to knee and he buried his face in her hair, nose rubbing against the back of her neck where it met her shoulders. She smiled and relaxed against him as the fingers from his other hand fluttered low against her stomach and then slid over her hip. Though they stilled there momentarily, she soon felt them trailing up the inside of her thigh and she jumped out of bed.

"If you're awake enough for that, you're awake enough to come outside with me for an hour," she said laughing. She picked her shirt from the day before up off the floor and put it on, letting it fall down past her hips and padded to the bathroom and turned on the light, looking at herself in the mirror. She splashed some water on her face and put toothpaste on her toothbrush and stuck it in her mouth. She turned around and walked back to the bedroom, leaning against the doorjamb.

"Really, you should get up."

"We ran yesterday," he mumbled into the pillow.

"I think you mean the day _before_ yesterday. Come on. I just want to do a quick one."

"Why don't you just come back here?" Andy could hear the smile in his sleepy voice. He was stretched out on his stomach, face buried in the pillow. When she'd gotten up, the comforter had slipped down, barely covering him at the hip. She smiled appreciatively and then moved her eyes up his body. He had one eye open, and that eye was awake and staring at her, full of heat. She stood in the doorway brushing her teeth for a few seconds and then walked back to the bathroom to rinse and spit. Entering the bedroom again, she approached the bed and crawled onto it. As he turned over, she straddled him. His hands moved up to her hips, and then up her back under her shirt as she bent her mouth to his. Without warning, she reached over and flipped on the bedside lamp. She kissed him quick one more time as he squeezed his eyes shut and turned his face away and then she rolled herself off the bed.

She dug through her drawers for her running clothes. Finally pulling them out, she looked up and saw him lying on his side, watching her.

"We can come back after, I promise. In fact, if we eat and get out there in twenty minutes we'll still have a few hours before we have to even _think_ about work." She pulled on her underwear and sports bra, followed by a long-sleeved shirt and a pair of sweatpants.

"So why don't we just run in a few hours," he suggested, smiling at her innocently.

"Because you know as well as I do, that we won't make it out there today if I let you talk me back into that bed."

"My stuff is at my house," he said, trying one last thing.

She looked at him disapprovingly. "You wore your running shoes and clothes over here. I'm sure if we look carefully, we'll find all of it. Eventually." She grinned. "Just get up. And when we're done, I'll let you scrub my back after," she said glancing at him, her voice casual.

He his eyes burned into hers and finally he sat up, throwing back the sheet. She stared at him, watching as he walked around, looking for and finally finding his boxer briefs. He pulled them on and she smirked.

"You're turning into a pushover," she said laughing. He shot her a dirty look and she walked out of the bedroom to the kitchen.

"Just for that, you can shower alone," he yelled after her. Her answering laugh echoed down the hallway and he smiled to himself at the sound of it.

* * *

><p>They ran and sat down to breakfast and coffee and bathed but it wasn't until they were in the truck on their way to work that the actual topic of their changing relationship came up.<p>

"Are we telling people?" Andy asked, turning to him suddenly. Inside the walls of her apartment, it was like they were locked in this private little world, but she found herself nervous as they drove to work. Like things had been left unfinished.

He raised his eyebrows. "Do you want to?"

She gave him a guilty look. "I'm kind of thinking we should keep it to ourselves for a while. You know, keep it professional."

"Ashamed, McNally?" he teased, looking at her quizzically.

"Obviously." She flashed a grin. "Look, I just want to get things figured out before we start broadcasting it. Not to mention what's going to happen when Best finds out. You don't think they'll split us up, do you?" she asked as the thought occurred to her.

He considered it. "It could happen. Depending on how we play it." She was quiet and he looked over at her. "What exactly are we figuring out?"

"You know," she said, holding out her hand. "This. One day we're friends and then the next we're… I guess I don't really know. Are we dating? Is it serious or are we just sleeping together?" He gave her an irritated look and she smiled. "Okay, not just sleeping together." She paused. "It sounds weird in my head to call you my boyfriend. What should I call you?"

"You mean in your head or to the people we're not telling?" he asked.

"Either one."

"Call me whatever you want."

"You'll regret saying that." She laughed. The awkwardness that was suddenly falling around them during the course of the conversation was lessened when they laughed. Sam reached over and took her hand. Just touching decreased it a little more as he brought it up and kissed the back of her wrist. He laced his fingers through hers and she felt her stomach dip a little.

"We're the same as before," he said. "Just better. I mean, we already spend a lot of time together; we're in and out of each other's places all the time. Now we just shower and sleep over," he smirked, thinking about the last hour before they got ready to leave. "And honestly," he said, looking over at her, his eyes clear. "At this point, I'll take you anyway I can get you. Even if it means keeping it casual until we get used to it." Her heart quickened a little at the look he was giving her, and she ran her lower lip between her teeth anxiously.

"I don't want casual," she said, finally.

"Me either," he admitted, relieved. "We don't have to have it all figured out today."

She nodded. "We have time."

"We do," he agreed. "We'll just take things as they come. One step at a time."

"Okay," she said nodding. Then noticing how close they were to 15, she asked, "Hey, can you pull over here?"

"Why?" He looked in his mirrors and then over at her as he pulled the truck up to the curb.

"It's going to be hours until I can do this again, and I've sort of already gotten used to doing it whenever I want," she said with a devious look as she unbuckled her seat belt and leaned over, taking a handful of his shirt and pulling him over to kiss him. When she pulled back, she opened her eyes and said, "Okay. That should last me a while. Let's go."

They got to the parking lot, and Andy got out of the truck first and ran to the doorway where she saw Traci. She got to the door and was about to walk in behind her when Traci looked over her shoulder once, and then again and stopped in her tracks.

"I know that look," she said with a grin.

"What look?" Andy said as she tried to walk in. Traci put an arm across the entrance, blocking her way.

"That's your 'I got lucky' face." And then her eyes moved over Andy's shoulder to Swarek as he exited his truck and started walking towards them. "I can't believe it," she said. "You two finally did it."

Andy rolled her eyes and ducked under Traci's arm. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yeah, I'm sure." She laughed and followed her in. "Don't worry. I won't tell anyone."

"Won't tell anyone what?" Dov asked as he walked up.

"Nothing," Andy and Traci both said as they walked into the locker room.

* * *

><p>They began the shift with sobriety checkpoints. They were running the checkpoints for most of the weekend, finally ending at after bar close on Saturday night, or early Sunday morning. After setting up cones, putting out the signs, they worked in groups. The first group directed cars to either move through the checkpoint or diverted them to another lane where the second group would talk to the drivers and decide based on visual and audible cues whether or not they needed to take a portable breath test or if they could be on their way. The third group would administer the breath test or any other field sobriety tests required, and take offenders into custody. They worked for hours, keeping the cars moving through the lanes as quickly as possible, and finally finished up about an hour or so after bar close.<p>

After they shut everything down and cleaned up the site, Sam and Andy went back to the station, a palpable tension running between them, almost like a taut cord strung through their bodies, vibrating with every slight movement. They entered the building together, splitting off for separate sections of the building. Andy went into the bathroom and splashed some water on her face and then dried it, looking at herself in the mirror. For the first time in a long time, she thought she looked happy. Like suddenly any problems she'd had weren't as big as she'd once thought. She walked back out to the main room and sat down at her desk across from Sam.

The problem wasn't with work. They could work together fine. It was when things slowed down a little, when the job was a little less urgent that they ran into problems. They still had a few hours on shift to complete paperwork, tie up any loose ends before going home for the day. He would look up from his desk and find her watching him. Sometimes her eyes would be on his face, and sometimes they would be on his hands, but she always wore this look that he'd only recently come to recognize as _wanting_. And it wasn't a look that left him at all unaffected. Finally, when she stepped away from her desk, he got up to follow her.

Andy went over to go refill her coffee and Sam walked up behind her, leaning against the filing cabinet, crossing his arms over his chest as his eyes played over the other people working around the room, some a little more diligent than others. He appeared casual and wasn't looking at her, but he murmured, loudly enough for only her to hear, "If you're serious about keeping this thing to ourselves for now, you should probably quit looking at me like you've seen me naked."

"Damnit!" she hissed as she sloshed coffee over the side of her cup. He flashed a dimpled grin at her and walked away as she grabbed a handful of napkins to mop up the mess, glaring vengefully at him.

* * *

><p>So far, with the exception of Traci, they'd been doing a decent job of keeping things a secret, but he let his guard down a little once. He was perched on the edge of Shaw's desk, going through a file with him when Andy passed by and because he wanted to, he reached out and tweaked the end of her ponytail. She looked over at him with a small smile, running a hand over her hair as she walked away, and he grinned.<p>

Shaw snapped his fingers in front of his face. "Time to get out of the sandbox, Sammy. We've got work to do."

"Yeah, sorry." He held the file up again and started rereading the paragraph he'd started when Shaw spoke again.

"Congratulations, by the way. It's been a long time coming."

Sam looked over at him, thought about denying it, but absolutely no part of him wanted to. Instead, he nodded. "Thanks."

* * *

><p>They were in the truck on the way home when the previous day's activity and intermittent sleep started getting the better of Sam, and he yawned deeply, earning a chuckle from Andy. The sun was up and shining brightly through the windshield as they drove back to his place. He yawned once more and adjusted his visor.<p>

"Don't tell me you're tired," Andy teased, yawning herself. He gave her a sidelong glance.

"I didn't sleep very long Wednesday night. And yesterday, someone spent all a really long time wearing me out."

"Well, don't get too comfortable. I have plans for you," she said, with the same look on her face that he'd been seeing all shift, except this time, it was unrestrained, unapologetic.

"Do these plans involve breakfast and a nice long sleep?" he asked, with a smile.

"Maybe eventually," she said, grinning to herself as she turned to watch out the window.

In Sam's kitchen fifteen minutes later, the room was lit only by the sunshine streaming through the windows. Sam was leaning back in a chair, reading the newspaper that lay folded on the table, one hand spooning Cheerios into his mouth, and the other rubbing slow lazy circles on the inside of Andy's free hand with his thumb. She'd been waiting for a while for him to finish eating. She'd figured out about ten minutes into his breakfast that he was deliberately taking as long as possible, making her wait. Impatient, she finally turned her hand up to meet his, and when she laced her fingers through his, he looked over a look of mock surprise on his face.

She stood up and the bowls of cereal were pushed aside, spilling milk onto the table, soaking into the newspaper that had been tossed over her shoulder and she climbed astride him, settling her mouth across his. She held his face between her hands and licked into his mouth as he unwound her braid, spilling the wavy hair over her shoulders.

His hands moved down to her thighs, slid up and under, settling her more firmly against him and as she rocked gently, he moaned breathlessly into her mouth and she laughed triumphantly.

"What happened to sleep?" he mumbled as he pulled away and his mouth slid down the column of her throat.

"I think the word I used was 'eventually'."

* * *

><p>A good while later, Andy pushed herself up off his bed, snatched his shirt up from the floor and put it on. She walked around the room and started picking through their discarded clothing on the floor.<p>

"What are you doing?" he asked as he pushed himself up to a sitting position.

"I thought I'd go home and shower, get some fresh clothes, maybe sleep a little. I'll be back later to run." She reached out when she found a sock.

"Why don't you stay here and we can stop by your place later," he said, brows drawing together in curiosity.

She shrugged and kept her head down. "I just like to sleep in my own bed."

He smirked. "Oh yeah. Your love 'em and leave 'em routine. I forgot."

"What do you know about it?" She bent down as she found her shirt and bra tangled together under his jeans and as she righted them, her head came up, meeting his gaze.

"I have good ears. I heard you and Callaghan talking about it after you walked out on him, remember?"

"It's no big deal."

"You're right," he said, leaning back against the headboard folding his hands behind his head.

"I am?" She sounded distrustful of his response.

"Go home if you want. I think you should stay. I _want_ you to stay. But you don't have to."

"It's just that I won't sleep," she said, feeling the need to defend her choice.

"Let me ask you this," he said, leaning forward under the sheet, putting his elbows on his knees. "Are you tired?"

"Yeah," she nodded. He nodded in answer and thought about it for a second.

"Let's make a deal. We have," he picked up his watch off the bedside table. "A really long time before we have to be back to work. Give me a few hours. If you don't sleep, we don't have to talk about it again for a while." She was hesitating. "I'll even set the alarm."

"One hour," she said after thinking it over.

"Two," he argued quickly.

She paused in contemplation and finally nodded. "Okay. Two hours." She dropped everything on the floor. "One step at a time, right?"

"One step at a time," he repeated as he held the blanket up so she could slide in.

* * *

><p>Two hours later, Sam's alarm went off. He opened his eyes and felt Andy curled against him. Her eyes were closed, and her breathing was deep and even, relaxed. He reached over her and tried to hit the button, but could only reach the cord and so he wrapped it around his hand once and yanked it from the wall, silencing it. Then he rolled back and pulled the blanket back up over their shoulders and gathered her against him again, closing his eyes.<p>

* * *

><p>After a full eight hours, Andy was walking around the kitchen barefoot with her cellphone. Her hair was damp and hanging down her back, leaving a large wet spot on her shirt. She peeked out the doorway, listening for the shower and then put the phone back up to her ear.<p>

"Trace, I slept over."

"Yeah, I know you think you're a master of deceit, but I already know about you two."

"No, I mean, I slept…at Sam's."

"Okay." Traci still sounded like she didn't get it, and then it dawned on her. "Wait, what about your fear of foreign beds?" Andy repeated their conversation and how not only had she managed to fall asleep, but she'd stayed asleep. They'd woken up to the alarm on Andy's phone and had hit the snooze on that a few times before she finally got up and made her way to the bathroom to clean up for work, leaving Sam still dozing. They'd skipped the run, but somehow she didn't care.

"Well it makes sense, if you think about it," Traci rationalized.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean," Traci repeated, "You trust him. You know he's not going anywhere, and so you don't feel like you have to leave him first."

"Are you taking psych classes at night school or something?"

Traci laughed to herself. "You think you're complicated, but you're not."

Andy froze again as she heard the water shut off. "I've gotta go. I'll talk to you at work." She hung up the phone and started filling the coffee pot, and by the time Sam came out to the kitchen and started hunting around for food, she was sitting at the table, sipping casually from a large ceramic mug and paging through a magazine.

* * *

><p>The next two nights passed much the same. They worked the sobriety checkpoints and then spent another hour or so on patrol, and then finished up with paperwork. During their downtime after their second shift, they went to the gym, did a torturous session on the track to make up for the missed run and then went back to Andy's and passed out. They woke and went out for an early dinner before getting to the division for their third and final night shift.<p>

Out on the streets, they'd been separated for most of the weekend. Andy was in the first group with Williams for most of the time, sending cars on their way or over to Shaw, Peck and Nash in the second group. Swarek was in the third group, supervising Epstein and Diaz as they dealt with the questionable cars. They rotated positions every few hours, but other than a brief word in passing, or the slight pressure of his hand on her back as he walked by, she didn't really have much contact with him. So whenever they were back at the station, and she thought no one was paying attention, her eyes were on him. She'd been talking with Traci and Detective Barber for a few minutes when they were called away by Shaw to help with reports. Once she was seated, she looked over her shoulder at Sam and made a face. He smiled and walked past Barber on his way to his desk when Jerry grabbed his arm, pulling him to a stop. Sam broke eye contact with Andy and turned to face him.

Jerry took a sip from his coffee. "So we're all going out to breakfast after this. Are you in?"

"Who's all?"

"Well it started out as just me and Nash, maybe Oliver, but she asked Diaz and Peck. Then they invited Epstein, and so on. Pretty big group."

Sam nodded. "Yeah, sure." He started to walk away, but Jerry stopped him again.

"Can I give you some advice, buddy?"

"Uh, no," Sam said, flashing him a grin.

"As someone who's been in your place…" Jerry started, looking down, switching his coffee from one hand to the other.

"What place is that?" Sam asked, squinting a little in confusion.

"You know, in a secret relationship, trying to keep it secret." Jerry smiled knowingly as he met his eyes.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Sam said, his face emotionless.

"Yeah, I thought you'd say that. I'll keep it to myself, but you might want to shower at your place."

"Huh?"

"You smell like McNally," Jerry said, taking a sip of his coffee, breathing in quickly as it burned his tongue.

"What?" he asked, turning to face him.

"Her shampoo."

"Oh." Sam looked at him, said nothing else.

Jerry grinned, satisfied. "I didn't make detective because of my good looks you know. Although I'm sure they didn't hurt," he added, bringing the coffee up to his lips again.

* * *

><p>Andy was waiting in the parking lot for him. She was looking forward to getting breakfast over with and going home and sleeping for the rest of the day, maybe squeezing in a run, definitely squeezing in some alone time with Sam. But he hadn't made it outside yet, and people were starting to leave. Her stomach started to growl and when Traci came out of the building, Andy took the opportunity to get a ride. As they were pulling out of the parking lot, she saw him step into the parking lot and she mouthed <em>"sorry" <em>through the window and waved.

The restaurant wasn't very busy yet for a Sunday morning, and they were able to pull tables together to fit the large group of people. Andy was sitting at one end of the group, and had been covertly saving a seat for Sam, but Gail sat down in it, not noticing the annoyed look Andy gave her. Sam ended up four chairs down on the other side of the table, and Andy found that she had to crane her neck to even catch a glimpse of him over all the heads bobbing forward while people ate. But when their eyes did meet... The looks he was giving her were making it incredibly difficult to sit there, pretending nothing was going on. Finally, she got up from the table with a quiet word and she walked to the bathroom. Amid the noise of silverware against plates and conversation and laughter, no one seemed to notice her disappearance.

Sam saw her turn the corner and sat there for a minute and then his phone chirped at him. He got up and held up his phone in explanation to anyone who might have questioned his sudden disappearance as he walked to the front of the restaurant, turning the corner. He glanced over his shoulder and walked down the hall. As he passed by the door to the women's bathroom, it sprang open and Andy grabbed his shirt and dragged him in. He quickly took note of the incredibly feminine air freshener and the fact that the women's bathroom was much cleaner than the men's bathroom and grinned at her.

"This is incredibly romantic," he said sarcastically as she backed him into the large stall at the end, locking the door behind them. Then she pressed her mouth against his, and he didn't say anything else. He filled his hands with her, running them over her arms, down her back, finally down to her hips and over her rear, pressing her against him.

She opened her mouth under his and as she slid her tongue into his mouth, they heard the bathroom door open and Traci said, "Andy?"

Andy pulled her head back and put a hand over Sam's mouth, turning in the direction of Traci's voice as Sam still held her against him.

"Uh, yeah?"

"I'm about to take off. Did you need a ride?" Traci stepped closer to the stall, bending down to look underneath.

"Um, I think I'll catch one in a little bit."

"Alright, I'll see you later then." She started walking towards the door and over her shoulder said, "By the way Swarek, I can see your feet."

Andy burst into laughter and Sam leaned his head back against the wall, rolling his eyes.

"I'm too old for this shit," he said, bending down to her mouth once more before setting her away from him. He unlocked the door and they walked through it. Andy pushed him out the door and moved over to the mirror. She stood there a few moments, noticing the high color in her cheeks, the disheveled appearance of her clothing and carefully moved everything back into place, tying her hair up. After pressing cool wet fingers to her cheeks, she walked back out to the table.

* * *

><p>After breakfast, after they'd entered his house laughing, unable to keep their hands off each other, and after he'd tumbled her down onto his bed, they lay there on their sides, hands clasped between their pillows as they talked.<p>

Andy's heart was still racing and Sam was silent for a few moments, then reached out and brushed the hair out of her eyes, and she felt it all the way through her body.

"I love you." It burst out of her so quickly that she covered her mouth with one hand and then said, "Oh God. I know it's too early for that."

He shook his head, feeling a warmth spread through him and he rolled onto his back, keeping his head turned so he could look at her. "Nothing about this is going according to schedule," he reasoned. "And considering how long I've been wanting to hear it, no. It's not too early."

"I wanted to say it before," she admitted with a whisper. "That day you were almost shot. And way before that. Even saying it now, it doesn't feel like I'm saying enough." He breathed deeply, letting her words sink in, thinking of all the time they'd wasted. "You're not going to say it back," she teased, jolting him out of his own mind.

He felt the corner of his mouth turn up. "Man, you're greedy today," he complained. "You take advantage of me in a bathroom of all places, completely tie up my entire morning, and now you want promises?" She laughed as he reached out for her, and she scooted over, twining her legs with his under the blankets.

He covered her shoulder with his hand, running it down over the muscle and then kissed the hollow where her neck met her shoulder. "I love this place on you."

"Just there?" she asked smiling.

He looked at her, feeling for a brief second that nothing in his life had ever been so right, and moved to kiss her. "That's only the _first_ place," he said.

* * *

><p>They caught up on their sleep for most of the day, and then got up and had a light snack and then both got ready for their long run in the evening. There were thirteen days until the half and so Andy added another mile. Maybe it was just coming off the night shift, her sleep cycles trying to right themselves, or her new surprisingly active social life, but she was tired. She'd slept for hours, but didn't feel quite up to the run. A few times, she had to slow to a walk and as Sam slowed next to her, he asked if she was okay.<p>

"This was such a bad idea. I'm just wiped out."

He stopped and pulled the water bottle out of her belt and drank from it. "I know exactly how you feel."

"How much farther do we have?" she asked, wiping the back of a wrist over her forehead.

Sam looked off in the distance out of habit, even though he knew he wouldn't be able to see the truck from where they stood. "Another two miles or so."

"Do you want to skip it?"

He looked at her with an eyebrow raised. "Do _you_ want to skip it?"

She thought about it and then shook her head. "I guess not." She stretched a little and started walking again, finally breaking into a light jog after a dozen steps. She should have eaten something more substantial than the peanut butter and jelly sandwich she'd had before they left. The two energy bars she'd eaten at mile 5 and 9 had helped, but she wasn't powering through like she knew she was capable of doing. They were half a mile from the end when he said something to her, and she missed it. She turned her head to look at him and stepped off the path. Her ankle bent outwards and feeling it roll, she rolled with it, ending up on her side in the inch or so of snow left on the ground. She pushed herself to a sitting position and by the time Sam made it back to her, had her sock pulled down, just to look. He knelt down and took her shoe in his hand. Under the sock, her ankle looked normal.

"What happened?"

"I just rolled it a little."

"Can you walk on it?"

"I'm going to try." She got up, standing on one foot and then took a step gingerly. "I think it'll be okay," she said, even as her face blanched a little and he shook his head.

"Stay here and sit down. I'll go get the truck." She didn't argue as he sprinted the last half mile, but she didn't sit. She hobbled up to a tree and braced a hand against it as she stood on the good ankle and flexed her foot. She rolled the joint around. The initial roll had hurt, and it was throbbing a tiny bit, but the longer she stood waiting for Sam, the more the pain ebbed. She put it on the ground again and started walking on it. It felt a little weak, but she could walk on it. It didn't feel like sprains she'd had in the past. Maybe just a good strain. A little ice, a little ibuprofen, some elevation. She'd be good as new in a few days.

* * *

><p>An hour or so later, they were together on Sam's couch, an open pizza box on the coffee table in front of them, and the television playing loudly across the room. Andy had her head in Sam's lap and her foot elevated on a pillow on the arm of the couch, an icepack wrapped around it with an ace bandage. He smoothed a hand over her head, feeling the softness of her hair under his hand and leaned his head back, closing his eyes.<p>

She breathed in deeply at his touch, and when Andy spoke, she was quiet, almost shaky. "It wasn't like this when I was with Luke. This feeling. Even when it was good." She paused, not really wanting to ask, but finding she couldn't help herself. "Was it like this with Kate? Did you feel like this?" She turned over and looked up at him. Sam hadn't talked much about their breakup. Andy knew he was still feeling guilty over it; would probably always feel guilty over it. But when they were together like this, even though she knew she should, it was hard for Andy to summon up any large regrets. However, it didn't mean she wasn't wondering about it. It didn't mean she that she was immune to what had gone on between them.

He looked down at her, saw the slight concern clouding her features. "It's never been like this with anyone," he said, hoping she could see that he meant it. He put his hand on her stomach and she reached up and touched his fingers once.

"Really?" He nodded and reached up, rubbed his thumb along the curve of her jaw. Without saying anything more, she reached up for his hand and held it in hers as she turned towards the noisy television.

* * *

><p>They sat at his table before work on Tuesday. Andy was reading the newspaper while eating cereal and had her foot in Sam's lap. He was winding a self-adhesive bandage around the joint, immobilizing it slightly. The day before, she'd been stuck in a chair with her foot up, alternating between ice packs and no ice packs. She was already tired of sitting around and was grateful to get back to work. When she'd gotten up that morning, she'd felt a slight twinge, but nothing compared to how it had felt two days before. He ran a fingertip up the center of her foot and she flexed her foot.<p>

"Swelling's pretty much gone," he said, a little surprised.

"It was barely swollen to begin with," she argued. "I told you it was better."

"It's not better yet," he said. "How does it feel?"

"It feels fine. I could probably do without the bandage."

"Maybe if I hadn't seen you limping out of the bathroom this morning," he said, giving her a disapproving look.

"I'm just babying it a little." She put her foot down on the ground when he finished, curling her toes against the cold floor. "Maybe tomorrow then."

"You'll have to ask the doctor."

She didn't say anything and he pulled down the center of the newspaper so he could see her face.

"You _did_ make an appointment right?"

She shrugged. "I thought I might wait until tomorrow."

"That's what you said yesterday."

"And today it feels better. I told you; I'm just babying it a little."

He sat back in his chair, folding his arms over his chest. "You do know that if you don't get this taken care of, it'll keep you out of the race, right?"

She was starting to get irritated, but was trying to keep her attitude in check. "I don't need to spend all day waiting for the doctor to tell me that it's fine. I barely feel it at all today."

He bent down to her, looked her right in the eye and said, "I think you're full of shit." Then he walked out of the room to pack up his duffel for work and Andy rolled her eyes. She flexed her foot in the bandage and when she felt nothing other than normal movement, she smirked to herself.

* * *

><p>"Alright people. The drug squad needs a handful of uniforms to assist with a raid later today. You'll be expected to contain the perimeter, make arrests, that kind of thing. For this I want Swarek, Williams, Diaz and McNally. This is a really important bust, so everyone really needs to be on their game."<p>

Andy sat quietly, a barely contained smile on her face. After being sedentary for the last day or so, she was looking forward to getting out of the building and something like this was just what she needed. Best finished up and she stood up, moving toward the door, wanting to get out and get ready. She turned to say something to Sam, but he wasn't behind her. She searched the room and finally saw him up at the front talking to the staff sergeant. Both of them turned their eyes toward her, and she felt the familiar sinking feeling of dread. Sam walked toward the door, brushing his hand against hers inconspicuously as he passed. Best called her up and she shot a dirty look through the window where she saw Sam waiting and walked up to Frank.

"Swarek says you're injured."

She shook her head. "I rolled my ankle the other day. It's alright. I'm walking on it."

"Let's see." She walked across the room, feeling not even the barest hint of a twinge with the tape and her boot supporting the ankle. "Stand on one foot." She did it, keeping her face frozen, as the extra weight caused the tiniest prick of pain near the ankle bone. "Can I see it?" he asked.

She looked up. "Excuse me?"

"Let's see the ankle, McNally."

She took a deep breath and sat down, and shaking her head angrily, unlaced her boot. As long as he didn't know she was wrapping it, she might have had a chance but now… Her heart sank. She took it off and pulled of her sock so he could see her ankle taped up.

"Have you had this looked at?"

She shook her head. "It's fine. It already feels better than it did yesterday, and there's no swelling. I'm only wrapping it to be safe."

He stood back, hands at his waist. "Are you still racing in two weeks?"

She looked up in surprise. "How did you know about that?"

He leaned back on the table and crossed his arms, smiling cryptically. "I know more than you think." Her eyes cut to him and he held her gaze for a moment longer than necessary and then stood up. "Here's the deal. You're off this bust. You're on front desk. I want you to go see the doctor and when he or she gives you the okay, you'll be back on the streets. Until then, you might as well get comfortable." He stood up and walked out of the room and Andy pulled her boot on and laced it up tight.

She walked out of the room and passed Swarek who was waiting for her. Before he could even get a word out, she held up a hand angrily and said, "I can't believe you did that."

"Andy."

She stalked towards the women's bathroom and opened the door. He grabbed it and held it open as she tried to close it behind her.

She turned to face him and grabbed the handle, jerking the door out of his hand.

"By the way, the jig is up," she said sarcastically. "Even _he_ knows about us."

* * *

><p>Halfway through the day, Sam approached the front desk with a couple of coffees in hand. He set them on the counter and looked at Andy who was stubbornly keeping her head down.<p>

"You're not even going to look at me?"

She lifted her gaze, eyes flicking over the coffee. "I don't know," she said slowly. "Is that supposed to be some sort of apology," she asked.

Sam glanced over at Epstein sitting next to her, typing on the computer, trying with some difficulty to mind his own business. He made his way around the counter and sat on the edge of the desk, holding out the cup.

"I guess it can be," he reasoned. "Sure. Think of it as an 'I'm sorry you're mad' coffee," he said with a smirk.

She looked at him unimpressed. "I'm more in the mood for an 'I'm sorry I'm an overbearing and intrusive ass' coffee."

"Why would you want 'ass coffee'?" Epstein joked. Sam and Andy both turned the full force of their glares on him. "Okay, clearly this is a private moment. I'm just going to be over there." He pointed and then got up and uncomfortably walked around them to assist someone who'd just entered the building.

"Just take it," Sam said, holding out the cup.

"No."

"Goddamn it, Andy," he said under his breath.

"Fine." She reached out and took it and then swiveled her chair around and held out her arm, releasing the cup so it fell into the trash can.

"And I actually paid for that," he said, irritation obvious in his voice. "I guess that was $2 well spent."

"Well, you might as well save your money until I'm cleared for duty. Since you got me put on restriction," she said, reminding him again.

"You know as well as I do that if you really hurt yourself chasing someone during that raid, you'd hate yourself for missing the race. Not to mention that you could have jeopardized the entire operation, so cut me some slack. You'll have another chance at it."

"You're somehow not making this any better."

"You know, as your senior officer it's my job to…"

"I'm warning you." She pointed a finger at him. "Do not finish that sentence if you hope to see me naked anytime in the near future," she whispered angrily.

He paused, looking at her under lowered eyelids. Finally, he tried something else. "I'm just worried about you," he said honestly.

"Well, I don't need you to worry about me. I know my body. I know what it's capable of and I'm fine."

He lowered his voice and bent down to her, glancing around for people close enough to overhear him. "Well, at this point, I think I know your body pretty well too," he said pointedly. "And it's not the body of a super hero or a professional athlete." She didn't say anything. "A professional athlete would see a doctor," he muttered. "Did you make an appointment to go in?"

"I've got one tomorrow morning. And the only reason I'm going is to get cleared for duty, so don't act all proud. I'm not doing this for you."

"I don't really care why you're doing it, as long as you go." She didn't say anything, just tapped her fingers in irritation against the desk, glaring at him. "Look, I'll be back from this and finished up in time to take you home."

"Don't bother. I'm going to the Penny with Traci tonight. So if you feel like apologizing," she said, with raised eyebrows, "you'll know where to find me."

Swarek felt his temper rise above the boiling point and he gave her an unpleasant smile. "Sweetheart, it'll be a cold day in hell before you get an apology out of me." She raised her eyebrow again at the challenge. "I did what I thought was right. But if you'd like to admit that you're just being stubborn, you've got my number."

* * *

><p>Late that night, Andy lay in bed. Even hours later, she was still furious. From what she'd overheard at the bar, the raid had basically been a cakewalk for Diaz and Peck who'd gone in her place. There hadn't been a single runner, and they'd basically just walked a line around the house, keeping their hands on their guns and then had transported the offenders to the station. And she'd missed out. She got up and walked to the fridge, pulling out a bottle of water and drank down a third of it. She'd been too crabby after work to even enjoy herself much at the Penny and now she was awake in the middle of the night. She looked at the clock. Four hours until she had to get up to shower for her next shift.<p>

She went back to her bed and lay down. As mad as she was, she knew that part of the reason she couldn't sleep was because she was alone. And that pissed her off too. It was amazing how quickly she'd gotten used to feeling the weight of someone else in the bed next to her. How nice it was to get up in the middle of the night and come back, feet chilled from the cold floor and to slide into bed with someone warm to curl up next to. A small part of her considered going over to his place to apologize, just so she could sleep.

_You're mad, McNally. Remember that. Don't give him the satisfaction. _Groaning, she pulled the blanket over her head, determined to sleep, even if it took all night.

* * *

><p>The next day, she waited outside her apartment for Traci. She was supposed to give her a ride over to the clinic to see the sports medicine physician and she was late. Andy sat on the steps, feeling miserable. She was tired and feeling the chill from the stone cutting through her jeans. The air was warming though. The trees hadn't yet started to bud, but the frost wasn't as thick on them in the mornings lately, and the days were getting lighter earlier. She sat there a few more minutes and then her phone rang and she pulled it out.<p>

"Where are you?"

"I'm so sorry," Traci said. "Things just got crazy at home this morning, and I still haven't left the house."

"Traci, what am I supposed to do?"

"Well, I called someone."

"Who?" Andy asked.

"Don't get mad."

Andy watched as Sam's silver truck pulled up to the curb. "Yeah, thanks. I'll talk to you later." She snapped the phone shut and stood up.

Sam got out and walked around the truck and up the sidewalk. "I hear you need a ride." He looked at her closely. "You didn't sleep well last night?" he asked with an innocent smile. In truth, he'd probably clocked in around 3 hours, but he wasn't about to admit it.

Andy was fighting to keep her temper in check but she had no other choice and she stalked past him and climbed in. There were two coffees steaming in the cup holders and she ignored them, even though the smell was positively intoxicating, the caffeine calling to her. Sam got in and pulled the truck onto the road, sliding his eyes over to her every now and again as she stared angrily out the window.

He pulled into the parking lot and she got out, expecting him to just drop her off, but he parked, got out and walked up with her.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"I thought I'd come with you."

"I think not."

"I'll just sit in the waiting room."

"No."

"How are you getting to work, McNally?"

She thought about it. "I guess I'll call a cab."

He smirked. "Maybe you could run it, if you really are as healed as you think. It's only ten miles."

She stepped up to him, looking him in the eye at his obvious challenge. "Maybe you _should_ come in, just so you can hear for yourself that I'm fine."

He smiled, a little proud of himself for working the situation. "Maybe I should."

* * *

><p>So Andy found herself sitting on an exam table with both her shoes off, Sam sitting in a chair in the corner. Dr. Kimball, who was a decently good-looking man in his early forties, told her to call him Kris, and was holding her foot between his hand, manipulating the joint, bending it out, bending it in. He held the ball and the heel and rolled it around a few times. He seemed extremely competent at his job.<p>

"Any pain when I do this?"

"Maybe a little pinch. It doesn't really hurt."

"Well there's no swelling."

"But there was," Sam interjected.

Kris looked over his shoulder at him. "After running 13 miles, I'd be surprised if her feet weren't a little swollen, but even so. Any bruising?" Andy shook her head. "At worst, I'd say you have a very minor sprain; possibly you just stretched that ligament out a tiny bit. I don't know if I'd even go that far though. Ideally, I'd like to see you stay off it for another week or so, absolutely no serious running, just to be sure, but I think it'll be fine. There's no inflammation, and I'm not really reproducing any pain when I move it or press on it."

"I'm supposed to run on it in two weeks," Andy said, a question in her voice. "The Sunday after this one."

"The half marathon," he asked and she nodded. He considered it. "Give it until next Friday and do a practice run. Just a short one to see how it feels; see how it absorbs the shock. If you feel any pain whatsoever, you'll probably have to drop out, but I have a suspicion that you'll probably be fine. Just keep wrapping it. If it starts to hurt again, come back." He stood up and nodded to the nurse who made a note in her chart. As he stood up and moved toward the door, he nodded to her and said with a friendly smile, "Oh, and Andy? I'll see you at the race." She smiled at him and nodded, reaching down to pull her socks and shoes back on. She looked over and saw Sam rolling his eyes.

"What?"

"It figures you'd get another runner to check you out."

"Well, he said I was fine. _And_ he's a _doctor_," she said, smugly.

"Actually," Sam said, getting up and walking over to her. "I'm pretty sure he said to stay off it."

"He said no long distance; he didn't say I couldn't do my job."

"Well, let's ask him," Sam said and walked out into the hallway. Andy scrambled to collect her second shoe and hobbled out there, one foot still bare.

Sam walked up to Kris and said something and by the time Andy made it to them, they were facing each other, talking.

"So we're having a little disagreement about work. Can she get a work release form or does she need to wait?"

The doctor turned to look at her. "What do you do?"

"I'm a police officer."

He made an apologetic face. "If you're serious about racing, I'd look at this as an opportunity to catch up on your paperwork."

Sam was giving her his most irritating, triumphant smile. "I'll take that apology any time now," he said as the doctor walked off.

She looked at him through slitted eyes. "What was it you said? 'A cold day in hell?' That sounds good to me," she said and sat down heavily in a chair to put her shoe on.

* * *

><p>For the second night in a row, she was lying in her bed alone, sleepless. After work when she made the decision to come back alone, she'd been extremely clear on why. He'd interfered in her job. He'd been way too pushy about the way she chose to take care of herself; something, she reminded herself, she'd been doing for years. But a little voice in her head was arguing. She knew he worried about her. She'd always known. And he <em>had<em> been incredibly sweet on their days off taking care of her. _You're still on desk duty for the next week, McNally. _Did she think she'd been wrong? Not really. Maybe just a little optimistic, and yes, stubborn. Did she want to apologize? Absolutely not. Did she really miss being able to turn over and feel him warm under her hand? _Yes._

She rolled over, balling up her pillow under her head and watched the numbers slowly change on her clock. Two o'clock in the morning. And she was wide awake. She'd taken a shower a couple of hours earlier, thinking that might help, but no such luck. She watched for another ten minutes and then mumbled, "Screw this," and flung the covers off and got out of bed. She pulled a pair of sweatpants on over her shorts and she went out to the entrance and slipped her shoes on and put her coat on over her pajamas. She grabbed a knapsack and stuffed a day's change of clothing in, along with her toothbrush and shoved her phone in the pocket of her coat.

She argued with herself the whole way over there. She wanted to be sleeping in her own bed. She wanted to be strong and stand up for herself. But at the same time, she couldn't sleep in her own bed, because he wasn't there with her. She wanted to turn around and go home before he realized she was caving. But not as badly as she wanted to be lying next to him.

She used the key he'd given her, unlocked the back door, turning the knob soundlessly. She closed it quietly behind her and bent down to untie her shoes and slipped them off. She hung her coat over the back of one of the kitchen chairs and walked in her socks through the dark house, knowing every turn, every piece of furniture, until she came to the bedroom at the end of the hall on her left. The door was ajar and she pushed it open slowly with one hand. As light shined in on the room, she stepped in, clearing the door with her bag before pushing it closed. She put her bag on the floor as she walked over to the dresser. She held on to the top as she reached down and took off her socks one at a time. She slid her sweatpants down, tossing them over the top of the knapsack and was just taking her hair down when Sam flipped on the lamp by his bed. He looked completely alert, hair mussed from rubbing against the pillow, eyes tired, but awake.

She held up a finger. "This is not me apologizing," she warned.

He shook his head, exasperated and held open the covers. "Just get over here."

* * *

><p>Andy woke the next morning to him squeezing her hip gently with one hand. She turned over to face him. He both looked and smelled freshly showered and shaved. He was completely dressed, even had his shoes on.<p>

"Get up, McNally. I let you sleep, but you've got maybe fifteen minutes to get up and get dressed if you want to make it to breakfast before we have to go in." She sat up quickly, pushing the covers off and as he stood up, she swung herself out of bed. Grabbing her bag, she took it into the bathroom and brushed her teeth, her hair, splashed some water on her face and got dressed. He was waiting for her when she came out and held her coat out to her, and she put it on, pulled on her shoes and they left.

They slid into the same booth they'd shared the night they'd come to the diner for pie. Same sides of the booth. Sam ordered waffles and Andy got an egg-white omelet with vegetables stuffed inside and piled on top. The coffee was hot and it slid down her throat, warming her from the inside out. So far, he hadn't said anything about her stealing into his house in the dead of the night. But she knew it was only a matter of time.

He was looking at her like he was trying to judge her mood. Either he thought her amenable or decided he didn't care because he sat back in the seat for a moment and held up his cup, sipping at it once before he said her name. She raised an eyebrow.

"I really was worried about you, you know."

She looked at him and after a second she nodded. "I do."

"And I know you don't want to hear this, but I need to say it, so you understand." He put his arms on the table in front of him, leaning over it. "No matter what either one of us says or does outside of work, on the job, I'm responsible for your safety and your ability to do your work. If I thought that Diaz or Peck were less than one hundred percent, I would have done the exact same thing to them."

Andy just stared at him.

"If I knew that you were in a position to not only injure yourself but also to blow that raid, and didn't say anything…" He paused and glanced down at the table for a second, finding the words. "If I hadn't said anything, I would have been doing it for you; I would have been favoring you," he said looking up at her again. "And if you had hurt yourself, and someone realized I knew about it beforehand; if they thought my feelings for you were compromising my judgment, they would split us up in a second. For good." He put his hands flat on the table in front of him. "And maybe I should have talked to you about it first, before just running up there and narcing you out, but my intentions were good." He looked at her, waiting for her to say something. "This also is not an apology, in case you were wondering," he finally finished, eyes twinkling a little.

She sat there a second, studying his face, squinting a little. "I hear what you're saying, but why do I get the feeling that you just pulled that out of your ass?"

"Even if I had, it wouldn't mean it's not true." He held out a hand. "Let's just consider this one a draw?"

Andy took a deep breath; released it, admitting to herself that she was tired of this whole argument. She was tired of being mad at him for reasons that seemed more ridiculous every second. She grasped his hand and shook it once. Instead of releasing it, he brought it up to his mouth, kissing the back of her wrist. "Don't even start that with me," she warned with a smile. "We don't have any time to make up right now." He shot a grin at her and did it again. "Really. We haven't even gotten our food yet and we have a half hour to get to work."

He looked down, took her hand in both of his and rubbed his thumbs over the place his lips had been moments before. "There's always the incredibly public women's bathroom," he said, trying not to laugh as she blushed and pulled her hand away.

* * *

><p><strong>Note: I'm kind of afraid of changing the entire tone of the story, but let's make this a warning. I'm reserving the right to change the rating of this story, whenif I choose to dirty this up.**


	15. Chapter 15

**Note: There is some steam in this chapter!**

**Thanks to Cocobean2206 - a lot of my good ideas in this story were hers. And to two of my nonfanfic reading friends who have no idea how much help they are. And to all of you for continuing to read. It's going to be kind of a wild ride for the next few chapters.**

**Oh and I don't own Rookie Blue or Lucky Charms. Although I wish I did :)**

* * *

><p>Thursday, Andy was sitting at her desk, a stack of file folders on the corner. She rolled her shoulders a little, and stretched her legs under her desk. Checking the clock on the lower right hand corner of the computer screen, she yawned. She'd been sitting there for hours typing reports, updating files, pretty much just doing what she could to keep from falling asleep on the job. She'd been working a desk for three days now and it was already turning into hell on earth. She hadn't run in days, almost a week, and she hadn't been in a squad car either.<p>

Swarek walked in and saw her stretching her arms up, each elbow pulled over her head individually, and then walked over, perching on the edge of her desk.

She looked up at him and tried to pull off a pout. "Rub my shoulders?"

He chuckled. "Ask me later. We have an audience right now." Andy looked around, noting several pairs of eyes that shifted away as she met them.

"I'm gonna take you up on that. Don't forget," she warned as she closed the file in front of her and turned her chair towards him.

"It probably won't be tonight, though," he said, a cautious expression on his face.

Her eyes narrowed. "You know you're a tease, right? What's tonight?"

"Jerry and Oliver feel like losing a little money and it usually runs pretty late. But I thought maybe we could go out tomorrow night."

She sat back in her chair and her ears perked up. "Like a real honest to God date?"

He considered it. "Dinner and a movie? Or maybe a movie and then a late dinner," Sam said with a half smile.

"What movie?" she asked, a smile spreading over her face.

He gave a low laugh and put his hand on the desk, sliding his fingers through hers. "Which ever gets out the earliest. I thought we'd just sit in the back and neck. You know, like in high school," he said flashing his dimples at her.

"Yeah, I never did that in high school," she said with a smirk.

"Liar."

Andy grinned and leaned closer, arms on the desk, brushing against his thigh. "What exactly is the statute of limitations on two adults acting like a couple of horny teenagers?" she asked, keeping her volume down.

He laughed out loud this time. "Let me know when you get tired of it. So far, I haven't heard you complain."

She looked up at him. "I was actually thinking of all the people who have to put up with us."

"Well, that's the bonus of a dark theater. Lights are off, everyone is facing forward. The only one who'll be looking at you is me." She felt her heart pick up a beat and looked over her shoulder.

"I don't suppose you'd want to hit up the interrogation room for a few minutes? You know, like a preview to the good stuff?" Andy raised a single eyebrow.

His eyes shifted down to her mouth, watching her tongue flick out as she wet her lips and he felt his throat go dry.

"Swarek!" He looked over his shoulder as Shaw walked out of Frank's office and he stood up.

"I think I have to take a rain check. See you tomorrow?"

"I'm going to want to go home and shower and change, you know. Like I would for a real date? No stinky off duty clothes."

"I like your stinky off duty clothes," he said with a laugh. "This _is_ a real date. I'll buy your movie ticket. If you're lucky, I'll even split the dinner check." He grinned.

"Oh, wait," she said, bringing her hand up to her forehead. "I can't do it tomorrow."

"What? Why not?"

"Well, Traci and I were going to have a girls' night tomorrow."

"Can't you do it tonight?"

"Well, you've got Barber tonight and he's already agreed to watch Leo tomorrow. Why?" She grinned obnoxiously at him. "Can't spend two nights away from me?"

He put his hand on her head, slid it down over her hair. "I was more worried about you," he said.

Andy rolled her eyes. "Worry about your liver. I'll find something to keep me busy."

"So what are you gonna do tomorrow night?"

She shrugged. "Drinks, dancing, man-hunting," she finished with a suggestive grin. "You know; the usual."

"Sounds like a great time," Shaw said as he came up behind Swarek. "You ready, brother?"

Sam gave him an annoyed look. "Hey, McNally," he said as he turned back to her. "I bet Shaw's wife hasn't been out with the girls in a while. Maybe you should invite her."

"I don't think so," Shaw said.

"No. It _sounds like a great time_," Sam repeated, a small smile sneaking its way onto his face. "Invite her," he said to Andy. "I can get her number for you."

"Don't," Shaw said pointing a finger at her. "I've seen you girls at the bar and I'd like my wife home safe and in one piece."

He started backing away, pulling Sam by his shoulder. "Invite her," Sam called one more time with a grin on his face.

* * *

><p>The two nights they spent away from each other dragged on. While Sam had fun taking money from his friends, Andy went to the gym and lifted and swam laps, figuring that at the very least, she'd be able to get her heart rate up. By the time she got home, it was late and she showered and pulled on her pajamas. She didn't even try to sleep in her bed. Once the perfect size for sprawling out, it now felt too big for just her. Instead, she stretched out on the couch and turned on a movie. And it did the trick. She was asleep inside a half hour.<p>

* * *

><p>The next night, while Andy, Nash, Peck and the female Shaw were out clubbing, Oliver and Sam sat at Zoe's dining room table, listening for pre-adolescent females moving from room to room upstairs while they were supposed to be sleeping. Oliver had already gone up there a few times to settle everyone down for bed. They'd been perched on their chairs for about forty-five minutes without interruption, beer bottles collecting between them as they watched a game on the small television perched on the counter. At one point, Oliver's phone vibrated against the varnished table top and he grabbed it, flipping through the menus until he came to his messages. Chuckling, he handed his phone over to Sam.<p>

Sam was nursing his second beer, still feeling a twinge of the hangover that had plagued him all day. He's spent all day delegating duties to Peck and still didn't feel 100%. He grabbed the phone and squinted at it.

It was a picture of Andy and Nash dancing and at first, all he saw was the huge smile on her face, touched with neon blue from the lighting. And then he noticed the very young, very good looking guy wrapped around her. He clicked the phone off and tossed it over his shoulder into the living room where it bounced on the carpet. Oliver held up his hands, palm sides up in question.

"Why'd you show me that? You know it makes me crazy," Sam said with an irritated smile.

"You sent my middle-aged wife out with a couple of twenty-year olds and you ask _me_ why?" Shaw asked with a laugh. Sam took a large swallow of his beer, refusing to take the bait. "Hey, isn't she supposed to stay off that foot?" Shaw asked, trying one last time to rankle him. This time it worked.

"Sonofabitch," Sam swore under his breath. "I forgot." He pulled out his phone and hit the speed dial, but it went directly to voicemail. It was probably turned off, tucked into the back pocket of her jeans. Hating himself for doing it, he typed out a text, and but paused at the last second; then discarded the message. "She's fine. She's going to do what she wants anyway, right?"

Shaw smiled and held his bottle up to his lips. "They always do."

* * *

><p>When Sam walked into Andy's apartment on Saturday night after shift, he could hear the shower running. He was a little earlier than he'd planned, but that was okay. He could wait. Maybe. They'd only seen each other for a few minutes for the last two days while they'd been at work. She'd been doing paperwork and working in booking and he'd been on the streets for hours each day. He'd fallen into a deep sleep Thursday night, due to the alcohol, but last night he'd laid awake for hours before finally falling onto the couch and cranking up the television.<p>

He grabbed a beer from her fridge and sat down on the couch, turning up the volume on the radio. He set his bottle down on the coffee table and froze. Her running log was sitting on the table in front of him. Sam glanced over his shoulder towards the bathroom, where the water was still on and reached out for it. It was open and tempted, he pulled it towards him by the corner of a page. Before his eyes ran curiously over it, he stood up with his beer, and walked back towards the bedroom. It wasn't his business.

He paused in the hallway, like he did every now and again when he was in her place and looked at the pictures on the wall. There were two new ones. In a long frame at the end of the hall nearest the kitchen, there was a picture of them holding up their medals from the 10K, and below the picture, mounted in the same frame was her bib number. He smiled and took a drink from the bottle. Next to that picture was another one. At the time, he hadn't known that Nash had the camera pointed at them, but suddenly, standing in the hallway at that moment, he was very glad she had. He'd relived that particular moment a hundred times, but seeing a picture of him and Andy embracing after they'd found each other that day brought it all back. The memory of that first feel of her quiet in his arms, of her body pressed against his was still vivid in his mind and he breathed deeply as he remembered the smell of her and the small sigh she'd made in his ear.

Sam shook himself out of the memory and walked back to the couch. He ignored the music and closed the book. She didn't want him to look at it. He knew it. But why? Had she made notes about them? He couldn't think of any other reason she wouldn't want him in there. _But if she'd made notes about him, or them together, he was entitled to read them_, he reasoned. He listened one more time for the shower and then finally, bracing his elbows on his knees, picked up the book and started flipping through it, scanning for his name. He saw nothing about himself. Instead of being satisfied, he started paging through more thoroughly, turning each of the pages rapidly, noticing many mentions of "May." Frowning, he turned to the May calendar and quickly skimmed the boxes until he came to one at the end. For a moment, he just stared and then he stood up and walked rapidly down the dark hallway, back to the bathroom.

He flung open the door and barked, "Andy."

"Shit," she cried out as she skidded across the slick surface in surprise. Then after she'd righted herself, she pulled open a corner of the curtain and stuck her head out. "I could have cracked my head open, you know."

He held up the book, open to the calendar. "What the hell is this?"

"Well," she drawled, "That looks like something I told you was none of your business." She ducked back into the shower to finish rinsing the conditioner out of her hair.

"Andy, you're training for the marathon."

"Yeah, I know." Her voice was muffled by the volume of the shower and she turned the knobs, shutting it off. She stuck a hand out past the curtain and he grabbed a clean blue towel out of the closet and handed it to her.

"Well, when did you _start_ training for the marathon?" he asked, voice barely containing his irritation.

"Well, you _do_ have the book, so I'll bet you can figure it out," she muttered as she swept the curtain across the rod and stepped out. He moved out of the way so she could step up to the vanity and comb out her hair.

He crossed his arms over his chest, tucking the book under his elbow as he stared at her in the mirror. She was watching herself, combing out long thin chunks of hair until she had finished her whole head and then finally her eyes flicked to Sam's and held them. He knew he looked annoyed and the annoyance skyrocketed as he saw her roll her eyes. She turned to him then and stepped up close. She put her hands on his arms and raised her eyebrows.

"Do you really want to talk about this now? We had plans, remember?" She gave him a suggestive smile and his eyes moved over her face to her shoulders, slick with water, to the wet tendrils hanging down over her towel-covered breasts and he tried to ignore the way his breath quickened. It had only been two days, but in the newness of their relationship, it felt like two weeks. Of their own volition, his hands came down and settled over her shoulders, palms sliding over her wet skin and the book dropped to the floor as his hands slid up her neck to cup the back of her head. His fingers plunged into the dark, wet mass of hair as his mouth sank down onto Andy's. As his tongue slid against hers, the towel was tugged away and she wound her arms around his neck, pressing her body against his. After a few moments, he felt the wetness of her skin soaking into his clothing and he pulled away, running his head into the wall behind him and he set her from him. He looked down at the imprint she'd made on his clothing and then looked up at her. She had a satisfied smirk on her face and she picked up her towel and her comb and walked out of the bathroom.

"I'll just get dressed. You'll probably be dry by the time I get done." He leaned his head back against the wall again briefly, and then exhaled forcefully as he looked down at himself. The clothing drying wasn't exactly his biggest problem at the moment.

Andy moved quickly around her room. After blow drying her hair, she dug through her drawers looking for the outfit she had in mind. It'd been two days since they'd spent any real time together; not a long time, but longer than they'd been apart in a while. She pulled out a skirt she'd bought a while back and had never had the guts to wear. It rode high on her thighs, snug across the back. She paired it with a thin cotton teal shirt with cap sleeves and a chunky silver necklace. She slid the matching bracelet over her hand, spun it once on her wrist and got on her hands and knees and dug around the floor of her closet for the shoes she'd been thinking about. She put them on and made her way to the bathroom to do a quick fix on her face. A little eyeliner, some mascara, a quick slick of lipstick, and she was ready to go. Before leaving the bathroom, she tugged at the bottom of her skirt a little, giving herself an extra half inch of coverage. When she walked out to the living room, Sam stood up and stared at her, eyes lingering on the expanse of leg revealed to him.

"Wow."

She smiled. "Just like a real date." He grinned and held out her coat for her to slide into and he walked her out the door.

* * *

><p>They got to the theater and Andy went to pick up a couple of drinks while Sam paid for their tickets. They met at the ticket-taker and Swarek put one hand in his pocket and his other arm around her shoulders, pulling her into him as they walked towards their theater. She put an arm around his waist and the other hand flat up against his ribs as she looked up at him. Then she frowned. The hand against his side moved, patting gently. When he realized what she was doing, he pulled away but she reached out and snagged his jacket and pulled it open. She raised her eyebrows as she saw her training log folded up and stuffed into the inside pocket of his jacket.<p>

She laughed a little fearfully. "Why do I get the feeling that we're not getting to second base tonight?" He rolled his eyes and pulled it out as they found their seats and sat down. She stuffed their coats and her purse in the seat next to her as he opened it and started reading through each page carefully.

Andy sat with her arms crossed and checked her watch. They still had another ten minutes or so before the lights went off. Every now and again he'd lean over. The first time, she thought he was leaning in for a kiss, but then he held the book up. "What do these numbers mean?"

She gave him an exasperated look. "Are you kidding?"

"Do I look like I'm kidding?"

She closed her eyes for a second and then blew out a breath, then looked at the column he was pointing at. "Those are splits."

"Which means?"

"The times for each mile I ran that day." Then he sat back and continued. After another few minutes, Andy felt her patience slip away.

"You know," she started. "I'm pretty sure that we came here to make out and I don't seem to be getting very far."

"Well," he said distractedly, not looking at her. "Maybe if you had told me about this earlier, we'd be doing something else."

"I didn't tell you about it _this _time." She crossed her legs, her skirt riding high on her thighs and she tugged it down, swearing she'd never wear it again. "In fact, I'm pretty sure that you invaded my privacy."

Sam looked at her sharply and flipped the book closed, keeping his place with his finger. "Well, what's the big deal? Why'd you keep it a secret?" The lights dimmed and went down as the trailers started playing. The theater had filled up around them and their voices lowered.

"It was something I decided to do a long time ago, and honestly it doesn't matter _why_ I kept it a secret. The point is that it _was_ a secret and isn't anymore because you couldn't mind your own business."

He looked at her and she could see the green from the screen reflecting in his eyes as he leaned forward in his seat.

"You said you didn't care if I looked around your apartment. And besides, you left it sitting out where I'd find it. You were practically _begging_ me to read it." He was articulating each point with a forceful downward jab of his finger and she narrowed her eyes at him.

"I don't understand why you're so bent out of shape. So I'm training for a marathon. Who cares?"

He looked at her, eyebrows raised. "I was just getting used to the idea of going back to our daily 3's and 5's and not having to do 10 plus miles on our days off. We could actually sleep in, or leave the city for the weekend."

"We still can. We can run anywhere."

"But you'd spend the whole time running. I want to do other things with you too," he hissed.

"Like what?" she whispered holding back a smile. Around Andy, several pairs of eyes were turning towards the noise in the back row.

"I don't know. We could go skiing or to a concert, or the beach. We can go anywhere," he offered, his voice taking on a weird tone…almost hopeful.

"Look," she said holding up two fingers. "It's only two more months. When we're done, we'll still have the summer to do things," she said, trying to be convincing.

He exhaled and nodded. She took his hand and put it on her knee and leaned in to kiss him, but he pulled away.

"What do you mean, 'when_ we're _done'?" Sam's voice was a little loud that time and the couple in front of them turned around, but Sam didn't notice.

She sat back, frustrated as he removed his hand. The music of the trailers swelled around them and they raised the volumes of their voices a little.

"Just what I said. I mean we only have to do the long runs for two more months, maybe double up the distance on the short runs and then we can stop training."

He looked at her incredulous. "_I'm_ not doing this."

"Of course you are," she said at a normal volume. There was a chorus of "shh" from the people around them and she looked around guiltily. "Of course you are," she repeated in a whisper.

"No, I'm not.'

"But you'll change your mind. You'll cave, just like you did on the 10K and the half."

"First of all, I never 'caved'. I'm running the half because when you asked me the first time, I really wanted to say yes. No part of me wants to run 26 miles."

"It's actually 26.2."

"Are you _trying_ to help me win this argument?" he asked with a grin.

"Listen," she said, getting irritated. "I didn't wear this uncomfortably short skirt to sit here and argue about this," she hissed. "You're already up to 13. Cory says that most training plans top out at 20-22 miles. We only have to bump it up 7 more miles in 2 months. He says it's completely doable."

"Yeah, and he's such an expert," Sam muttered under his breath.

"Actually," she said in a teasing tone. "He really kind of is."

"Has he told you what this is going to do to you? Some people say that running a marathon is one of the worst things you can do to your body," his tone was conspiratorial, like he was sharing some great secret with her and she gave him a look.

"He _told me _I'm in great shape and totally capable of doing this."

"Well he should spend less time thinking about your shape and more time thinking about the fact that you just sprained your ankle," he said a little loudly.

"It wasn't sprained and you know it. Besides, the ankle? It's old news. Move on, Swarek," she retorted, her voice was hard and he bristled.

"You know you'll have to change your diet. People have to eat differently when they train and you eat like crap."

"I eat what _you_ eat," she pointed out with a laugh.

"Exactly. And I don't eat like someone training for a marathon."

"So, when I start having trouble, I'll take another look at it, but if you're really concerned, look at the back of the book."

He did and pushed the button on his phone for light. She'd been keeping track of proteins, fats and carbs and fluid intake. He flipped between the front and the back and noticed the numbers matched those transcribed into the bottom corners of each entry.

"Fine. Maybe _you're_ ready. But I'm not. And I'm not really a big fan of surprises. What were you going to do? Wait until two weeks before to tell me?" She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him.

"Sir?"

"Look, I'll fill the tub with ice, or rub you down after, whatever you need, but you're doing this alone," he said with finality.

"You'll change your mind," she said again.

"I won't," he said laughing.

"_Sir_?"

"What," Sam and Andy both snapped, turning towards the aisle. The usher stood back and gave them a chilly smile. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave. There have been several complaints." They turned to look at each other, finally remembering where they were and then Andy stood and gathered their coats and her purse.

"I can't believe I wore this skirt and you didn't even have the decency to feel me up," she muttered as she shimmied it down her thighs and he grabbed her elbow and hurried her out to the hallway.

He took his coat and finally looked down at her, at the expanse of leg revealed below the white strip of denim. "Honestly, I can't believe you went out in public in that," he said laughing. "There's almost nothing to it," he said still staring at it as she stalked away ahead of him, her long hair twitching and hips swaying with each step.

"And it was completely wasted on you," she complained as she pushed through the glass doors to the parking lot.

He unlocked her door and opened it for her and then went around to his side. Once he got in and buckled his belt, he tossed the log onto the floor by her feet and pulled out of the parking lot and headed across town.

"Where are you going?" Andy asked as the buildings started flying by.

"There's more than one theater in this city," he said as he looked at her with a grin on his face. She snorted and the corner of her mouth turned up.

"You lost your chance, Swarek. The plan was dinner and a movie. Not dinner and one attempted movie and a possible second chance. Now, you need to feed me."

He laughed and looked over at her and then nodded. "Alright. Dinner it is."

* * *

><p>They drove around until they found a tiny little restaurant neither of them had ever been to and after a short wait, were seated at a small table by a window. The lighting was low, supplied by colored lanterns hanging from the low ceiling and quiet music played in the background. After they ordered, Sam sat back in his chair, one foot propped up on his other knee and took a sip from the tumbler in his hand. Andy was watching him, sipping at her wine.<p>

"What are you thinking about," she asked finally, irritation half-melted.

"You don't want to know," he said with a smile.

"Of course I do."

He hesitated and then put both feet on the ground and leaned forward a little. "I'm thinking about the marathon."

"How romantic," she muttered, finishing the wine in one large swallow. "Change your mind yet?"

"That's not happening." Sam looked at her. "When did you start training for it?"

She hesitated and then signaled the server for another glass of wine. "Remember that night you found out that Luke broke up with me?"

"Vividly."

"That was the first day I went and talked to Cory. And I wasn't really planning on it," she said. "I went in to talk to him about bumping up my endurance and I told him about the half and he said that in the time I'd have before May, I'd be more than ready for the marathon. And I was all of a sudden living by myself, had a lot of free time and I needed something to take my mind off everything."

"And the half?"

"I wanted to make sure I could do the half before I told anyone about the marathon."

He sat there for a moment. "By taking your mind off everything, you meant the break-up?" he clarified.

"No. Well, maybe a little. But it was more to distract me from thinking about you and Kate," she admitted, raising her eyes to his.

He looked straight at her. "You could have just said something." She nodded and he reached over and took her hand between both of his.

"It never seemed like the right time," she said quietly and then looked up gratefully as a new glass of wine appeared in front of her. "And I guess I was scared that you didn't want me the way I wanted you." She said it in a tone that was supposed to be flippant, supposed to be offhand, but he caught the tremor underneath. Her fingers curled around his.

His thumb made small circles over her wrist. "We could have sped this whole thing up a little if you'd just let us talk about it then."

"But it all worked out, right?"

He nodded, considering it. "We wasted a lot of time," he said as plates were set down in front of them.

She shrugged and smiled at him. "That just means we have a lot to make up for, right?" His eyes held hers and something electric sparked between them. Suddenly, Sam didn't remember or care what was on the plate in front of him. A slight flush was taking over Andy's skin, pinking up the skin of her chest and moving up her throat. She looked hot and restless and Sam would have pulled her to her feet and out the door in seconds if she hadn't retracted her hand and picked up her fork.

They talked a little more about the marathon and a lot about the half marathon. Andy was getting nervous about it. He could tell by the way she moved her hands, folding and unfolding them, tapping her fingers against any available surface. He asked her, and she admitted that she was starting to worry that two weeks away from running was going to punch a hole in her endurance.

Sam started thinking about it and realized that he hadn't run as long as she'd been benched and started feeling a prickling of doubt himself. They'd both stopped just short of the full 13 miles the day she'd injured herself, and they'd been struggling the whole way. Hopefully it would be like Cory said; that they'd get out there and just power through because of the adrenaline. Remembering the high he'd felt after the 10K, he could imagine it was possible.

"_Now_ what are you thinking about?" she asked him, a quizzical expression on her face. He realized he'd been sitting there in silence for a few minutes.

"Running," he admitted with a grin.

"Me too." She laughed. "We aren't very good at this whole date thing." He smirked and pushed his empty plate aside and then moved to the chair next to her.

"I guess we'll just have to practice then." He leaned in to kiss her and she pulled away.

"I know you don't think you're getting out of here without buying me dessert."

He rolled his eyes at her. "Wouldn't dream of it, McNally. Now can I kiss you, or do I have to wait until I walk you to the door?"

She looked at him amused. "You were going to walk me to my door?" she said with a laugh.

"Well, probably to my door, but hey, it's still a door," Sam said smiling. She laughed again and pulled his mouth to hers. He'd intended it to be a sweet kiss; and it started out reasonably chaste. But when she opened her mouth under his, he deepened it, turning in his chair to take her in his arms. He heard someone clear their throat behind him and he froze, pulled away. "Why do I feel like we are constantly getting interrupted?" he muttered before turning to face the server.

The server, a pretty blond girl, not a day over 16 was blushing full force, head to toe as she held out their check. He handed it back to her with his credit card and told her to add a couple of pieces of whatever dessert was closest when she walked back to the kitchen. When he turned back to Andy, she was smoothing her hair back over her shoulders and straightening the fabric of her shirt. She reached out and flipped the corner of his collar down and smoothed a slight wrinkle from the shoulder.

"I can't believe you even_ own_ a shirt with a collar," she whispered. "One that's not your uniform anyway," she clarified, looking at him. He covered her hand with his, held it over his heart for a few seconds while his pulse slowed a little. Then felt it pick up again as she scooted her chair over, pressed her leg up against his and he looked down, saw that tiny skirt slide up another fraction of an inch.

"Are you sure we have to eat dessert?" he asked with a strangled laugh. A sly look came over her face and she felt the corners of her mouth curl up.

"I'll make it worth your while," she said as she reached for the last of her wine and two pieces of chocolate cake were set down in front of them.

* * *

><p>Ten minutes later, they were in his truck, headed away from the restaurant and on the way home. Andy was looking at him in a way that was making it difficult to keep his attention on the road. She was watching him and saw his eyes shift down, and she uncrossed and then recrossed her legs. His eyes widened slightly as the white fabric slid a full inch up her thigh. Finally, he gave in and reached over like he'd been wanting to all night.<p>

Keeping his eyes on the road, Sam put his hand on her, rubbing his thumb against the skin on the outside of her leg. After a moment, Andy uncrossed her legs again, and he felt her hand on his, moving it up to the edge of her skirt. She scooted over in the seat, as far as she was able and taking that as an invitation, he slid his hand up under the skirt and she made a noise low in her throat. He glanced over and saw her looking at him from under hooded lids. He briefly rubbed his hand against the smooth skin of her inner thigh, and then moved it higher. After a few moments he murmured, "How is it possible that you wore something that small with no underwear. If you bent over, I'd have to arrest you for exposure."

"I was wearing it earlier," Andy said breathlessly, leaning her head back against the seat, her eyes squeezed shut as his hand moved between her legs. "I took it off in the bathroom before we left." He felt his heart skip a beat at the premeditation and he doubled his efforts. After a few moments, she looked at him and moaned, "Pull over."

He grinned. "No." And he kept driving until a minute later when her thighs clenched around his hand and she put a hand on his arm. "Pull over, right now!"

He laughed out loud and pulled over into a dark parking lot, a small area surrounded by oak trees. He'd barely thrown the truck into park before she was on him, straddling his lap. Her hands slid into his hair and her tongue plunged into his mouth. She rocked against him and he moved his hands down, gripping her hips over her clothing and to her dismay, slowed her movements. She ripped the top three buttons open on his shirt and finally, he just pulled it off, tossing it behind the seat. In another half a second, the T-shirt underneath was discarded at his feet. She all but whimpered into his mouth and he ran his hands up her ribcage and hers moved down to his waist and began an almost frantic struggle with the button on his jeans.

After a minute or two of under the shirt action, Sam pulled her top off, sinking his mouth down onto her throat, moving it down across her collarbone, and lower. His hands went around her and in a single motion, released the catch on her bra and he pulled it off, flinging over the top of the passenger seat. Finally, he pushed her hands out of the way and undid the fastening on his jeans and was just lowering his fly when something hit the window.

They froze and it came again. A hard, double hit, a flash of light.

"Oh shit," Sam said and pushed Andy off his lap, dumping her unceremoniously back into her seat. He reached down and grabbed his T-shirt off the floor and pulled it over his head. He leaned over and snatched her shirt off the dash and threw it at her. "Put that on."

"What's going on?" she asked, her voice thick with lust.

"What do you think? Put it on." Sam stretched his shirt, trying to get his arms in the holes and finally pulled it down over his stomach and went to work fastening his pants.

"Oh God," she mumbled. "Oh God, oh God, oh God." She pulled it over her head and righted herself in the seat. Sam had his hand on the window button and then after looking back at her, snatched her bra off the headrest of her seat and shoved it down into the console.

Andy felt a cold blast of air as Sam rolled down his fogged up window. She yanked her skirt down as far as she could while still staying decent and covered her eyes as the flashlight shone in the window.

"Sir, are you aware that you're on private property?" There was a pause while Sam tried to see around the flashlight shining in his eyes and to find his voice and then the cop said, "Swarek, is that you?" Andy said "Oh God," one more time as she peaked out between her fingers.

"And McNally." Epstein grinned. "Rock and roll."

"Epstein…" Sam said in a warning tone.

"Hey Dov, need any help?" Diaz said as he walked up. A grin spread over his face as he saw who the occupants were. "I don't think this situation is in the manual," he said with a laugh. Andy covered her face with both hands in abject humiliation and sunk lower in the seat, her knees pressed together, feet spread over the expanse of the floor in front of the seat.

Swarek jerked his head at them and they backed up and he put his hand on the door to open it and then thought better of his current condition and leaned out the window instead. He grabbed Dov by the front of his shirt and dragged him closer.

"Neither one of you is going to say a word about this to anyone. You're not going to call it in, or type a single word about it."

"Ah… well, we can promise to not call it in _again_," Diaz said. "I just called in the plate number. Said we caught a couple of star gazers."

Sam looked at him in disbelief. "And you came to check it out even though they told you it was _my _truck?"

Diaz looked over at Dov. "We thought maybe it had been stolen? I mean, this isn't exactly your neighborhood."

Sam shoved Dov away and crooked a finger at Diaz. "Come over here." Diaz stayed put.

Swarek glared at him and opened his mouth to say something when Dov spoke. "Hey I heard that you guys played poker again the other night. Is there any chance I might be able to get in on that next time?"

"Yeah, that would be awesome," Diaz chimed in.

"I'm good," Dov continued. "Well, decent." Sam just stared at them, mouth open in stunned amazement.

"You're joking, right?" he asked.

Dov's eyes flicked between Swarek and McNally. "Maybe a bad time to ask. Just let me know."

"Get lost," Sam growled. Diaz backed away slowly and Dov was fighting a grin as he slowly turned and made his way back to the squad car.

As they pulled away, Sam leaned his head back against the headrest and took a few deep breaths. Next to him, Andy was stirring, sitting up taller in her seat, giggles erupting from her as she bent over her knees and took giant whooping breaths filled with laughter. He looked at her, felt a grin forming on his face but when she reached out for him, putting her hot hand on his arm, he shook her off.

"Unless you want the entire 15 Division knocking down the doors, just hold on." He rolled down the other window and cranked up the defrost to clear the windshield and pulled the truck out of the parking lot.

* * *

><p>Sam finally pulled onto her street. Andy was tapping her foot, feeling anxious. In a few seconds, they'd pull up to her door and then…. She felt all liquid inside just thinking about it. Boneless, languid. They'd barely said two words the entire drive, but there was something sizzling in the air around them. Tension, a heaviness that was almost suffocating. She felt it every time he looked at her, felt it when he had to stop short to avoid a dog in the road and he instinctively threw an arm out in front of her, holding her back in her seat. She lifted her hair off her neck, letting the cool air move around her and the breeze blew the scent to Sam and he pressed the accelerator a little more firmly.<p>

But he turned off six blocks before reaching her building.

"Where are you going?" she asked him, her fingers gripping the armrest.

"To my place. It's closer," he said, his words clipped.

"But my bed is more comfortable. And it's bigger."

He gave her a sidelong look. "I'm not really worrying about a bed right now, McNally," he said. She felt her breath catch in her throat at the tone of his voice and the look in his eye and as they pulled up to the front of his house, Andy practically dove out the door. She heard his door slam as she reached the sidewalk and scampered up the sidewalk to the front door. She dragged her keys out of her purse and forced it into the lock, turning it and yanking it open as Sam came up behind her.

He put his hands on her arms and ushered her in and she had just enough time to get the door closed behind them before he hiked her skirt up to her waist and picked her up. She hitched her legs around his waist and he reached between them to release himself from his jeans before he backed her up against the closet door and drove into her. With a hand holding onto the door frame above her, she cried out loudly and he did it again. Her back flattened against the wooden door and she bent down, holding him tightly around the neck and shoulders with both arms, nails digging into the muscles of his upper arms. Her face was pressed into the top of Sam's shoulder and she set her teeth on him, through his thin T-shirt and he hissed.

He thrust into her again and again until finally, he cried out and pressed his face into her chest, whispering her name, holding her up until he felt like his knees might buckle, and then he backed away and fell back onto the sofa, pulling her down on top of him.

With a quiet sob, Andy tightened her arms around his neck, holding his cheek against her chest as she tipped her head back and drew in a final shuddering breath. Her breathing started to slow and she pulled away slightly, still held against him by his hands, large and hot pressed against her lower back. Shakily, she ran a finger over the marks on him where her nails had raked down over his arms, where her teeth had left an impression through his shirt. "Are you okay?" she asked after a moment.

"I'm alive," he said. "I think." He looked down, saw the red marks left by his fingers on the outsides of her thighs and hips and looked up at her.

"Are _you_ okay?" he asked, framing her face ever so gently with his hands.

She nodded. "Better than okay. Best date ever." He laughed and then kissed her softly, mouth feather-light against hers. "Thank God I'm on the pill."

He bent his head to hers. "I didn't even think of that," he admitted a little guiltily. She brought her hands up, holding his face against hers, smoothing his hair.

"I think I just need to sit here for a few more minutes," she said. "At least until my legs work again."

He breathed deeply and pulled her to him, her head turned and resting against his shoulder. "We can sit here all night."

* * *

><p>A couple of hours later, Sam sat up in bed and turned on the dim bedside lamp. He looked over at Andy. They'd showered afterwards, soaping each other up, rinsing each other off. And now she was curled on her side of the bed, knees brought up almost to her chest, damp hair curling at the ends as it fell over her face. He reached over and brushed it out of her eyes, feeling the cool wet strands slide through his fingers. She didn't even stir. He glanced at the clock. Since they had the next few days off, he didn't technically need to sleep, but he was tired, and couldn't quite get there. Maybe his book…<p>

He climbed out of bed and walked out of the room in his boxers. In the living room, he dug through the stuff on the coffee table, frowning as he noticed what he was moving. Running magazines, a rolled up running log, some trashy gossip magazines, a worn canvas shoulder bag. He stacked the magazines and the log and put them on a shelf in the bookshelf. The purse, he hung on the coat rack near the door. Not finding the book he was looking for, he first walked into the bathroom to get a drink of water from the faucet and then bumped something that clattered to the floor, loudly. He bent down, and fumbled on the floor under the sink until he found Andy's bracelet. Standing up again, he picked up her toothbrush in its case, a small container of floss, a large hairbrush, a bag of makeup, various hair binders scattered in random corners of the vanity. He threw the toothbrush and floss into the medicine cabinet with his own, and the rest, he tossed in the top drawer. The bracelet he kept and carried with him to the bedroom.

He set it on top of the dresser and started picking through all the stuff on top. In addition to his cologne and the refuse from pockets of various pairs of pants, more of her jewelry and a few other random bits belonging to her were scattered on top. He divided them up, moving his to the right and hers to the left. Still no book. Then he looked around on the floor. She'd been bringing her knapsack full of clothing over every night she'd stayed and there were a few pieces left on the chair by the window, in the laundry basket, a few rolled pairs of socks kicked under the edge of the bed. He gathered up all the clean stuff and opened the top drawer where he kept his shirts and tossed it all in there, mixing it up with his stuff. He bent down and picked up the shirt she'd worn that night, and as he passed it from hand to hand and then to the laundry basket, he caught her scent in the air again and he stilled, memories floating through his head. After a second, he shuffled back towards the bed, intent on curling up behind her, and his foot hit something, sent it across the room. He walked over to the window and picked it up. The book he'd been looking for. He weighed it in his hand and then put it on the nightstand and climbed back into bed.

* * *

><p>The next day, they were off, and they lazed in bed for hours, finally waking around eleven or so. When Sam walked into the kitchen after using the bathroom, Andy was sitting at the table eating a bowl of Lucky Charms. He raised an eyebrow, remembering their conversation from the night before. "And how is your extremely sugary breakfast cereal this morning?"<p>

She looked at him with a gamine-like smile and said, "Magically delicious," before shoving another large spoonful into her mouth. She looked up at him after she'd swallowed and the unamused look on his face made her burst into laughter. "Relax. I didn't eat it all." He walked behind her to pour coffee and on a whim, slung his arm around the front of her shoulders and pressed a kiss against the crown of her head. Her hair smelled strongly of his soap from the shower they'd shared and it was soft against the skin of his face. He backed away from her and when she turned, he lifted his coffee cup to his mouth, sighing contentedly as he felt the hot liquid sear its way down his throat.

"I was thinking," he said, leaning back against the counter. "That we should train a little today."

She raised an eyebrow. "I'm a little surprised to hear you say that."

"Yeah, well one of many things I learned last night is that my legs aren't nearly as strong as I'd like them to be." He grinned at her lasciviously and was pleased by the way her eyes darkened at the memory; pupils dilating visibly.

"I'm ready whenever you are," she said bringing the bowl to her mouth to finish off the milk.

* * *

><p>While Sam finished his coffee, Andy went into the bedroom to get dressed. She looked around, turning her bag upside down and found nothing, nothing on the chair, nothing hanging over the end of the bed. She looked at the dresser. Confused, she pulled open the top drawer. There, sitting on top was a pile of her clothing. His shirts were folded neatly below a random stack of crap and she froze. She hadn't put her stuff in here, so he must have. She waited for the moment of panic she knew would come. She waited for almost thirty seconds. But she was calm. Her things belonged in this drawer; at least Sam thought they did. A slow smile spread across Andy's face and she pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and grabbed the pile out of the drawer and quickly folded everything, laying it in neat piles next to his stuff. She grabbed out a pair of yoga pants and a long sleeved T-shirt and changed and went into the bathroom to brush her teeth. Scanning the top of the sink and finding nothing, she curiously reached up to the medicine cabinet and opened it, trying to hold back the grin as she reached for her toothbrush. She did her work in there and then went back to the kitchen where Sam was still standing. She walked up to him and took the coffee cup out of his hand.<p>

"You moved my stuff."

"I just put it away," he said, looking at her quizzically.

"You put it away," she repeated thoughtfully. She held the cup up to her mouth and took a drink to hide the idiot grin that threatened to take over her face.

* * *

><p>After the coffee was finished, they carried the coffee table out of the way and did multiple sets of push-ups and sit-ups side by side. Andy knew her shoulders would be sore the next morning, but it felt good to work her muscles and sweat a little. The simple act of counting out reps was satisfying in a way she couldn't explain, and after they'd stretched, they put on their running shoes and went out for a walk, arms linked together. After about five minutes though, she could feel the tension running through his body. She felt it in herself too. That feeling like she <em>needed <em>to run. Her leg muscles were bunching as she anticipated pressing her toe to the ground and kicking off; the feeling of the wind beating at her face, flicking her hair into and then out of her eyes. She felt a slight flash of embarrassment as she realized her breathing had picked up just thinking about it and then pulled away from Sam.

"Just go do a couple of laps around the block," Andy said thinking that one of them should at least enjoy themselves.

He turned to look at her. "Are you sure?" She nodded and he grinned as he ran backwards a few paces and then took off down the road. She watched Sam's slim hips and the long muscles of his legs propel him down ahead of her, and Andy felt unadulterated envy and picked up her pace, never rising above more than a brisk walk.

* * *

><p>The rest of the day was spent doing normal things. They finished what he'd started the night before and cleaned his house. Andy changed the sheets and carried the laundry down to the washer and drier and threw in a load while Sam cleaned up their dishes. They made a simple dinner of spaghetti and garlic bread and ate. They chased dinner with a few beers each while sitting on the floor in front of the couch, playing cards. They played hand after hand until finally one or both of them began yawning and they changed, twined together in the center of his bed and fell asleep.<p>

Early the next morning, Andy looked over her shoulder at Sam still sleeping. When she turned it on, the bedside lamp cast a warm dim glow over the room, making shadows over his face. He turned his head away from the light but didn't open his eyes. She went over to the dresser and she pulled open the top drawer, cringing at the slight squeak of wood against wood. But Sam never stirred.

She thought she might go and pick up breakfast. Maybe some doughnuts, some coffee neither of them had to make. She reached into the drawer, dug around looking for her green T-shirt. She flipped through the folded articles of clothing and finally, thinking there may have been something that fell down along the sides, she ran the flat of her hand against all the walls of the drawer, stopping when she hit something unfamiliar. She scratched her nails against the wood, wincing when she felt a sliver slide under her skin, but she grasped the piece of paper stuck in the joint between the back and the bottom of the drawer.

She pulled it out, and looked at her finger. Just a small red dot where the sliver punctured the skin. She sucked on the tip of her finger, held up the picture and turned it over. It was a picture taken at a dining room table; not one she recognized. There was a metal light fixture-chandelier thing hanging over a light wooden table and there was a white wall behind one side of the table. In front of the wall sat Kate, her long hair woven into a messy braid that hung low over one shoulder and she was laughing, eyes squeezed shut. Sam was sitting around the corner of the table. He was grinning as he lifted a beer to his lips, eyes lined at the corners with happiness and he was holding onto Kate's hand at the very edge of the photograph and both of them were turned toward the third figure in the picture.

On the other side of Kate was another woman; a curly-haired brunette. At first, Andy didn't know who she was, but the familiarity of her coloring gave her pause. And there was something about the way her eyes were lit up as she laughed with Kate as Sam looked on. As understanding swept over her, Andy felt frozen in place and although she wasn't sure why she even cared, for some inane reason the only thought she could identify was about who was actually taking the picture. It wasn't the thing that mattered after all. It was just a detail. The thing that mattered was this candid shot. This inside look into a private moment in time involving Sam, his incredibly cute and engaging girlfriend, and _his sister._

Keeping her eyes on the photo, Andy blindly reached out and shoved the drawer shut and she backed up the few steps until her calves hit the bed and she sank down onto it.

She couldn't remember the last time Sam had been gone; out of town. They'd been spending every waking hour together for weeks now. Before they started spending nights together, they'd still seen an awful lot of each other. He hadn't taken time off from work. He hadn't mentioned anything about a day trip. Then her eyes caught the colors of the room. Reds and golds and in the background, she saw a sliver of evergreen. Christmas. He'd brought Kate home to meet his family over the Christmas weekend. After only a few months of knowing her.

Had he put the picture in the drawer to keep it safe? So he could remember? Had it fallen off the top of the dresser by accident? And when? When had he tucked it in there? In the last few months; in the last few weeks? She doubted it, but couldn't deny the way her heart raced with fear at the thought.

She sat there in her pajamas, holding the photo between her hands, staring at it until light began to filter in through the blue stained glass framing his window. She heard him turn over behind her and felt it when he slid his arm around her waist like he did after that first time, pulling her tight up against him under the blankets. She looked over her shoulder, but Sam's eyes were closed and his breath was steady. He'd barely been awake when he'd reached for her, and had dropped off again quickly. She leaned up and slid the photo between the pages of a book he'd left on the nightstand, vowing to look at it again in the morning and reached up and switched off the lamp.


	16. Chapter 16

**Note: If you're wondering where I got the term 'stargazing' I stole it from a friend of mine who said that that's what they call it at their station when they bust people doing the deed in their cars. It made me laugh then, and it's still making me laugh. Also, condom wrappers = candy wrappers, FYI. Cops are weird.**

**This is another sort of in between chapter, because the whole thing was turning out to be far too long for my comfort. And I probably would have had it out a few hours ago except I drank too much coffee last night and somehow found myself making up a playlist for this story. Yes, I know. I need a life.**

**Anyway, enjoy, and please review!**

* * *

><p>Andy hadn't slept at all since she found the picture an hour before. Twice she'd reached out; pulled it from the pages of a well-worn paperback with a black and white cover. Each time she held it towards the light creeping in the window and studied it for a minute until she felt stupid enough to put it back. The picture meant nothing. It was simply a memory. It didn't matter how it had gotten into the drawer. At least that's what Andy tried to tell herself. She shoved it back into the book and tucked the book under the bed. Finding herself suddenly unwilling to greet the morning, she turned under Sam's arm. In his sleep, he tightened it around her and she drew in a deep breath, inhaling the scent of him. She pressed her cheek against his chest and listened to the slow, constant beating of his heart.<p>

She tried to deny it, but there was fear inside her; fear and guilt. Until now, it had been caught way down deep, shoved out of the way to make room for the overwhelming happy feelings she'd been full of recently. It never really made itself known, but she always felt it, lingering underneath. She was suddenly so scared that something was going to happen; that she was going to do something to screw this up. Since they'd gotten together, she hadn't been jealous, hadn't had time to be jealous. It was ridiculous to be jealous of a memory, after all. And that's all Kate was to him now. That's all the picture was.

After a few minutes of laying there, her skin warmed by his, the fear began to ebb, and her hands crept up his sides. He was real, solid under her hands. His breath, hot against her neck was stirring her hair. She'd been uncertain about so many things for so long. Why couldn't that picture have turned up a year from now; a month even? Why now, when she was _just_ starting to feel like she had it down; like she could finally _slow down_.

Sam said her name, whispering it quietly, his mouth clumsy in sleep and she squeezed her eyes shut, sniffed once, blinking back the sudden tears of surprise that threatened to fall. There was no uncertainty in this moment. In this moment, she was _sure_. And so, she would ask him about it. If she could figure out how.

* * *

><p>When Sam woke, Andy was turned on her side away from him. She'd kicked the covers off both of them, and the thin cotton shirt she'd worn had ridden up, giving him a view of a 4 inch wide strip of her lower back. There were goosebumps rising on her flesh and he sat up, pulling the blanket back up over her. He checked his watch; 9:17 AM. He stood and stretched a little and then made his way to the bathroom.<p>

As the door clicked shut, Andy's eyes opened. She heard the toilet flush, and the shower turn on and she threw off the blanket. She quickly pulled on her clothing. She couldn't find a sweatshirt and she finally pulled a thick hoodie from the closet and tugged it down over her body and when in place, it hung down past her hips. Before leaving the room, she dropped to her knees and fished under the bed for the book and shook it until the picture fell out into her hand. She walked quietly down the hallway, grabbed her hat, snatched Sam's keys and her cell phone off the kitchen counter and left the house. She'd been lying there awake for maybe a half hour before he woke. She could have left anytime, but the idea to go talk to Traci had just come to her. She knew she could have called, but she'd been filled with the overwhelming urge to just _get out_. And so she did.

It was going to be a beautiful day. The snow had almost completely melted from the lawn and there were soft spots of mud thawing as the sun rose higher in the sky. Andy managed to avoid those as she made her way back to the garage. She got into the truck and pressed the button on the garage door opener and figuring it was too late to back out now, reversed the truck and pulled it out onto the alley. She rolled the windows down; the breeze was still chilly, but it felt good on her face. Within minutes, she was at Traci's.

Leo opened the door when Andy knocked and he looked at her with vague recognition until Traci came up behind him.

"Are you supposed to open the door to people?" He shook his head and ran back to the living room where cartoons were screaming from the television. Traci looked up at her. "I swear I have to ask him that at least once a day." She looked at Andy. "Why are you here?"

"Why are _you _here? Doesn't he have school today?"

Traci shrugged. "Teacher in-service or something. He goes back tomorrow."

Andy turned and looked at the sky, at the sun beating down. She turned back to her friend. "Do you think he'd want to go to the park?"

* * *

><p>They got Leo bundled up into his coat and Andy followed them in Swarek's truck. After he raced away to the swings, Traci turned and looked at Andy perched on the metal bench.<p>

"So really, what's up?"

Andy looked at her and then pulled the picture out of the front pocket of the sweatshirt. "I found this last night in Sam's drawer."

Traci took it and looked at it, and then back at Andy. "You're going to have to explain it to me." She sat down next to her.

Andy's phone vibrated inside the pocket of the sweatshirt. She pulled it out and looked at it. Two missed calls. She held the phone in her hand for a moment and then hit the button to clear the screen. She leaned over. "That's his sister."

"I didn't realize you'd met her."

"I haven't."

"Then how do you know it's his sister?"

Andy raised an eyebrow and pointed at the picture. "Look at them."

"Okay, fine. They're probably related. So what's the big deal?"

"The big deal is that Sam is really protective of his sister. He's only ever mentioned her to me maybe twice, and he brought Kate to meet her over Christmas. And they'd only been together a few months."

"So?"

"So, I've known him for a long time now, and he's barely spoken about her. But after three months, he introduces them?"

Traci glanced over at Leo. "Well, you weren't sleeping with him then. He had no reason to introduce you." She flipped the picture over. "The time stamp is smeared; you can't read it. Maybe they don't take their decorations down for a while. Maybe this was taken after Christmas."

Andy just looked at her.

"Okay, I guess that's not really the point." She sat back and handed the picture back to Andy. "What are you worried about? That their relationship was serious? You already knew that it was."

"It's not just that. I mean, look at them." She held the picture up again. "Sarah likes her."

"Andy, everyone likes Kate."

"Thanks," she said sarcastically. "That really makes me feel better."

"Well, she's extremely likeable. It doesn't mean she wouldn't like you too." Andy just sat there, turning it over in her head.

"How serious do you think their relationship really was?" she finally asked.

Traci hesitated. "You'd know better than me."

"Jerry must have said something."

"He wasn't planning on proposing or anything." Traci was looking at her, choosing her words carefully.

"But?"

"Jerry said they were happy; they got along. I guess he had drinks with them a few times. Not really a big deal."

"But did he love her? Like, _really_ love her?"

Traci looked at her. "You'd have to ask him." She sat quietly for a moment. "Even if he did, he broke up with her to be with you. So even if he did love her, it wasn't anything compared to how he feels about you, right?"

Andy smiled once. "Yeah, I guess. It's just, he's never really talked about it."

"How he feels about you?"

"The break-up."

Traci shrugged. "Doesn't mean anything. Swarek's a private guy."

"Not with me." Andy turned away, eyes lost on something far ahead of her. She tipped her head down, looked at her hands, at the picture she still held between her fingers. "Do you think I'm a bad person for getting between them?"

"Andy," Traci said, voice full of concern.

"I wasn't trying to. I mean, I could have tried harder to stay away from him. Or tried at all," she added as an afterthought.

"Do you really think you could have?"

Andy considered it and then shook her head. "I guess not. But I wasn't _trying_ to break them up."

"From what you told me, this whole thing was his decision. You never asked him to, right?"

Andy shook her head again. "It's just… It's just that I'm happy. _We're_ happy. And I'm starting to feel like because of the way it happened, like maybe I don't actually deserve it. Like maybe this is just the calm before the storm."

"From what you've told me, there's already been plenty of storm between you guys. I think you should just enjoy it." Traci plucked the photo from her hands and waved it. "Forget about this. If he still wanted to be with her, he wouldn't have broken up with her." She handed it back.

Andy shoved the picture into the pocket of her jeans and nodded, considering it. "I guess you're right." She didn't sound convinced.

Traci looked at her with a curious look on her face. "So how was your date the other night?" she asked, changing the subject.

"Oh, you haven't heard yet?" Andy asked, turning to her with an annoyed smile on her face.

"Heard what?"

"That Chris and Dov busted us getting busy in his truck."

Traci looked at her, struggling to keep a straight face and then burst into laughter. "You and Swarek stargazing? You're kidding me." Her shoulders shook.

"I wish." Andy bent down, put her face in her hands. "It's going to be all over the division."

"Yes, it is." Traci laughed. "So, how was it?"

"How was what?"

"The sex in the truck?"

"We didn't actually get that far." Then she fast-forwarded in her mind to the scene that had taken place right after and the blood started rushing around inside her. "When we got back to the house though… It was…" Her voice trailed off as she started to feel hot under her clothes.

"You gotta give me something. A word," Traci said, nudging her.

Andy looked at her. "Awesome. Completely insane." She turned on the bench to face her, pulling a knee up. "You know how when it's still new and you just can't get enough of someone?"

Traci nodded. "Yeah, I remember that."

"It's like that all the time. And I know it'll probably wear off, but right now it's like I'm burning alive every time."

Traci stared at her with her eyebrows raised, a smile working its way across her face. "That's a little…intense."

"Yeah. It really is." Andy pulled her phone out again. It vibrated in her hand. She looked over at Traci. "Probably wondering where his truck is."

"Or where his girlfriend is." Traci leaned back against the bench and crossed her ankles. "So what are you going to do?"

Andy tapped her fingers against her knees. "I guess I have to ask him about it."

"Well, unless you want to go ask Kate." She smirked when Andy shot her a dirty look. "And I guess asking Sarah is out of the question since you don't even know her."

"Thanks for rubbing it in." Andy stood up. "You know, it'll be fine. I don't even know why I'm so worried about it."

"Me either."

Andy put her hands in the pockets of her jeans, suddenly feeling chilled to the bone as the wind picked up a little. "So, I guess I'll go back then."

Traci stood up too and started backing away toward the slide Leo was climbing. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

Andy nodded. "See you tomorrow." She turned around and started towards the truck as Traci went to collect her son.

* * *

><p>Andy parked the truck in front of the house and walked up the sidewalk. She let herself in, turning the knob slowly, trying to be as quiet as possible. She had no idea why she was trying to sneak. He clearly knew she was gone. He was clearly going to know when she came back. Still, she tiptoed through the living room and began making her way back to the bedroom.<p>

"You know, it's still grand theft auto even if you're sleeping with the owner."

Andy froze and swiveled around. Sam was leaning against the doorway leading to the kitchen, one foot crossed over the other, arms folded in front of him. One eyebrow was raised and he didn't look entirely pleased to see her; he had an ice cold smile on his face.

"I'm sorry," she said sheepishly.

"I don't care if you take it, just let me know. Let me know you're leaving while you're at it. That way when you don't answer your phone, I won't worry as much," he said and turned around, going into the kitchen.

She closed her eyes briefly and took a deep breath and then followed him. He was pulling on his coat and shoes when she entered. "Where are you going?"

"Well, I _was_ going to go out and get us some breakfast, since we've pretty much cleaned the fridge out in the last few days. That was an hour ago. Now I'm going to run a few errands, buy some food, maybe drive around until I'm a little less irritated." The smile was back, the one that said '_Push me just a little farther_.'

"Look, I'm sorry I left, alright?"

"You didn't leave. You snuck out." He emphasized the point by pointing a finger at her. "I was only in the shower for maybe 10 minutes. At the max. Lately, it takes you a half hour to get out the door on a good day." He stood there, hands on his hips, clearly waiting for an explanation.

Andy ran both her hands through her hair, gathered it together and pulled the elastic off her wrist and bound it up. Sam watched. It was a nervous habit. Keeping her hands busy while her mind raced behind her eyes. He stepped up to her and put a knuckle under her chin, tilting her head up. "I don't get it. What happened? Where _are_ you right now?" he asked, a tiny bit of his annoyance fading away as he looked into her eyes.

She blew out a breath and looked down; she chickened out. She shook her head slightly. "I'm just trying to work something out in my head."

"What is it?"

She took a deep breath, and took a step back. "Just give me five minutes to get ready and I'll come with you." She gave him a quick smile. "We can talk about it later."

She turned and left the room before he could say anything and he just watched her walk away. He had a weird feeling spreading through him. It was different than the flash of sheer panic he'd felt when he'd gotten out of the shower and found her gone. And it was not the slow-burning anger he'd felt as he sat there waiting for her to show. It was more an uncertainty; a sort of realization that as well as he knew her, as well as he wanted to know her, there were still things going on inside that he hadn't been able to reach. And it worried him, saddened him.

* * *

><p>Over the next hour, they ran to a few stores, picked up some things for the house, for Andy's apartment, even though she hadn't spent more than a couple days there in the last week. Finally they found themselves busting through the grocery store. During the hour, Andy's awkwardness and anxiety had dissipated a little and they found themselves sinking back into a playful place. Every now and then, Andy would walk up with something, hand it to Sam, or drop it in the cart and he would grab her and drop a kiss onto her mouth. After a while, she just started bringing him anything within reach. It took them nearly eight minutes to get through the produce section with bags of apples, bananas, oranges, tomatoes, peppers, and carrots. Finally Sam just grabbed her hand as she started to walk away and pulled her to him, cradling her jaw in his hands as he kissed her slowly for a few moments. When they pulled away, Andy caught a glimpse of an older couple holding hands and smiling at them as they walked past, maybe ten feet away. She smiled back and turned away, falling into step with him. She loved these moments; when things were simple between them.<p>

She stepped back and smiled up at Sam, putting her arm through his as he pushed the cart. They'd just made it to the freezer section when she looked up at him.

"How come you never talk about your sister?" she asked him, keeping her tone light.

He frowned. "I've told you about her."

"No, I mean, you never talk about her _now_. I kind of got the impression that you're close, so why don't you ever talk about her?" She thought she sounded casual.

He shrugged. "I didn't know you were interested."

"Well, I am."

He thought about it for a moment. "What do you want to know?"

Andy shrugged. "I don't know. What's she like?"

He smiled briefly. "She's… Well, she's an acquired taste."

"What does that mean?"

"She's just a little hard to get to know, that's all."

Andy raised her eyebrows, questioningly.

"Sarah's really smart," he finally said. "And she's got this finely-tuned bullshit detector." He smirked to himself. "She doesn't trust people very easily, which makes sense if you think about it, I guess." He looked down at her. "But she's amazing if you get to know her. And once she let's someone in, she's loyal to them. Fiercely."

Andy thought about that for a minute, worry starting to eat away at her. Exactly how loyal was she to Kate? "What else?"

"Well, let's see." Sam rubbed the back of his head and then pulled open one of the freezer doors, reaching in to pull out a couple of frozen pizzas. "She's an artist. She teaches art to kids during the day and then works on her own stuff at night and on the weekends. It's a little strange if you don't know her history. She's great with kids, a little…prickly with adults. Anyway, she comes to the city once or twice a month to for meetings with gallery owners and to pick up supplies." He tossed the pizzas on top and moved down the aisle.

"So you see her?"

He looked at her and raised his eyebrows. "Well, I haven't been to her place since Christmas, but she's been into town three times since then. We usually only have about an hour between our schedules, but we try to get a drink or lunch if we can. Why?"

Andy shrugged. "She's an important person in your life. I just thought I should know a little about her."

He pulled the cart to a stop and looked at her, puzzled. "Do you want to meet her? Is that what this is about?"

Andy kept a straight face. "I was just curious." He nodded and then turned away. Andy grabbed his arm. "But if she ever came to town, I wouldn't say no to a drink."

He laughed. "You're about as subtle as a flying brick, you know that?" He pushed the cart up towards the front of the store.

"It's just that…" Andy looked at him, a little embarrassed. "Well…"

"What?" he asked.

"Do you think she'd like me?" she finally asked, the words all running together.

Sam flashed a grin as he pulled the cart in behind someone in a checkout lane. "I don't really care if she likes you."

Andy narrowed her eyes. "Is that a no?"

He grabbed her, put a hand on the small of her back and pulled her to him. "She'd love you." He kissed her once. "Eventually." He showed her his dimples and she tapped him lightly in the stomach with her fist.

* * *

><p>They drove back to his place where they unpacked all the groceries. Afterwards, she went into the bathroom to pack a bag of stuff to bring home. Her plan for the rest of day was to go back, take care of chores, pay some bills and then head over to the gym. She heard Sam on the phone out in the living room and popped her head out. He was arguing with Barber about something. She watched him pace with a small smile on her face. Slinging the bag over her shoulder she left the bedroom and he hung up the phone as she walked up.<p>

"He needs me to stop by. So I guess I'll drop you off and you can do whatever it is you have to do and then I'll pick you up and take you over?"

She nodded. "I've got time."

* * *

><p>He dropped her at her door and then pulled away from the curb. He was trying to put together the pieces. But something was missing. He had no idea what had happened between last night when they'd gone to bed and this morning when he'd come out of the shower to find his house empty. He turned off Andy's road and turned off on another, following it down until he hit a T and then took a left. There was something odd about the conversation they'd had in the store. Something...<em>searching<em>. He knew her well enough to know that it wasn't just random curiousity that had caused her to ask him about Sarah. And she hadn't spoken about what had been bothering her, or where she'd gone that morning. He clenched his jaw once in frustration and pulled into Jerry's driveway. His friend had borrowed his drill a few weeks ago to hang something, but judging by the phone call, Sam guessed he hadn't gotten very far with it.

He swung out of the truck and went up the steps to the door. He rang the bell. No answer. He rang it again and then again. Finally, Jerry pulled the door open, phone pressed against his ear. He waved Sam in and shut the door. He followed him through the house, down to the lower level where a shelf laid on the floor, resting against the wall. A monster of a thing, it stretched nearly five feet and was comprised of two finished planks of wood, stained dark, held together by some fashionably modern-looking metal hardware. Sam gave him a look and Jerry held up a finger.

"Look, I've got something going on here, I've gotta go." He listened for a few seconds and then said, "yeah, I'll call you back." He snapped the phone shut and turned back to Sam. "Sorry, Sammy. This turned out to be a two-person job."

"You haven't had two people here in the last two weeks?" Sam felt the annoyance of the morning rise up inside him again. "You know, you could just buy one of these," he said as he picked the drill up off the floor where it had been set the day he'd given it to him, cord still curled around the grip.

Jerry grinned at him and held out his hands. "Are you going to help me out or are you going to ask me questions?"

Sam just shot him an irritated look and then tipped his head down and nodded. "Yeah, I'll help." He turned to put his keys on the steps and Jerry stopped him.

"Everything alright?"

Sam nodded and pulled his phone out of his pocket and shot off a quick text. "It's nothing. I'll be fine." He put his phone away and looked down at the shelf and then at the wall, and finally at Jerry. "Let's do this."

* * *

><p>After he dropped her off, Andy walked into her building, grabbed her mail and went up. It felt weird to unlock her door, weird to walk in. She remembered when she moved back, not so very long ago, how excited she was to have her own space. Now it just felt empty.<p>

The apartment was cold, both in temperature and in atmosphere. Where Sam's house felt lived in, this place felt more like a stopping-over point. It was her fault. She'd gotten comfortable there. Maybe she'd try to convince him to stay with her a few more nights a week, actually get some use out of the place since she was paying rent. She set the massive stack of mail on the counter and started going through it, separating out bills and actual mail from the junk. After leaving the important stuff on the counter and dumping the rest in the trash, she went back to the bedroom and emptied out the dirty laundry she'd collected into the basket under the window. There wasn't a lot. She'd tossed most of her stuff in with Sam's the day before and so it was just a random collection of things she'd worn the previous day and things she'd missed.

Standing in the middle of her room, she suddenly couldn't even remember why she'd wanted to come back to this place. She had clean clothing at Sam's. There was nothing here to do, no real work to finish. Her bathroom was spotless; the kitchen hadn't been used in days. She pulled out her phone as it chirped at her. A text saying he would be a while picking her up. Finally she walked back out to the living room and sat on the couch. Nothing left to do but stew. She pulled the picture out of the back pocket of her jeans and looked at it again.

Where Sam's hair was mostly straight, Sarah's fell past her shoulders in curls that made you want to poke your finger into them. Her face was narrower, features more refined, but she was undoubtedly his sister. Judging by the photo, it wouldn't surprise Andy if they were the same height, give or take an inch. She tried to imagine what she was like, but a photo could only give her so much information.

Sam had been awfully cavalier when the subject of them meeting had come up. Maybe it wasn't a big deal for him to introduce his girlfriends to his family. Did that make her feel better about Kate sitting right in the center of the picture? _Hell no_. Andy set it on the coffee table, leaning it up against the Kleenex box. She looked at it for a few more seconds and then put her finger behind it and gave it a little tap, sending it falling face-down onto the table. She got up and went to change for the gym.

* * *

><p>Maybe a forty-five minutes later, Sam picked her up and then once again dropped her off. She walked in to the locker room and put her shoes on and tossed the bag in her locker. She sat down on the stationary bike, intending to do only twenty minutes before she hit the pool. A half hour later, she had worked up a decent sweat but she'd been eyeing the treadmills. She had four more days before she was supposed to do her practice run and it had been torture. Watching Sam run laps around the block had been frustrating because she felt fine. Her ankle was great, absolutely no pain whatsoever. She was tempted to hop on and just do a mile, just to check things out. Four days until the practice run. Six days until the half. If she twisted it, that would be it for her. She wouldn't meet her first big goal. She took a deep breath and got off the bike and wiped it down. Then, ignoring the warning in her head, she stepped up to the treadmill. It wouldn't hurt to walk, maybe bump up the incline a little. She'd just turned it on when she heard Cory yell her name from the office, his voice rising above the din. She turned to look at him, suddenly remember that she'd told him about the doctor's visit, and he shook his head at her, looking very much like a disapproving parent and she made a face, stepping off guiltily. She glared at him and tossed her towel over her shoulder and headed back to the locker room to change for the pool.<p>

* * *

><p>Sam got back to his house and rifled through the mail that had been piling up on his kitchen table. More junk than anything else. He wandered around aimlessly for a while, finding nothing that really needed to be done. They'd spent so much time together lately that he found himself bored without her. He'd gotten used to her being there, making noise, sidling up beside him. He was having a hard time remembering what he'd done in his spare time before they'd gotten together. Walking back into the bedroom, he looked around. The floor had been cleared, but his nightstand was cluttered with random crap from the past few days; water glasses, books, Andy's iPod was sitting there for some reason. Smirking, he grabbed it and put the ear buds in, turning on the open playlist. He stuck it in his pocket and started straightening up the room. He made the bed, cleared the nightstand and turned to the dresser. Other than separating their stuff, he hadn't really looked at any of it for some time. The top of the dresser had been a collection point for receipts, papers from work, and old bits of mail that had somehow made their way from the mailbox to the kitchen and finally into this room. He grabbed the pile and sat down on the bed with it. Most of it was tossed directly into the trash. He found an open envelope and turned it on end, a stack of pictures falling into his hand.<p>

Sarah had given him this the last time she'd passed through town, in the middle of February. Photos from his last visit. There were a few of him standing in the kitchen with her, of him bent over the engine of her car with her husband, trying to get the thing to start after a particularly nasty, cold night. For some reason, she felt the need to capture every instant of her life with a camera. Several of the black and white photos hanging in his place were from her. Still black and whites of the city. Not someone to be tied to a specific medium, Sarah dabbled in a little of everything. She'd started painting sometime in her teens, after it was suggested to her by her therapist. She'd discovered she had an affinity for art; a talent that Sam later found was definitely not genetic. So she tried everything. Photography was one particular interest that had stuck with her. If he remembered right, at the time he'd last seen her, she'd been in Toronto showing some of the pictures she'd taken of a run-down farm out in the middle of nowhere. She'd also developed a flair for pottery. He knew she'd sold dozens of dinner sets, bowls, plates, and mugs. While it wasn't exactly a booming business, it gave her a little mad money.

He rifled through the photos quickly, setting aside the few he wanted to keep. And then he froze. He'd gone through this stack once before, right when she'd handed it to him, and he'd remembered another picture. There had been a single picture of the two of them and Kate, after dinner one night. The drinks had been going around pretty quickly and someone had told a joke; Sam couldn't even remember it now. But Sarah's husband had gotten up and snapped a quick picture. It had been tucked in at the end of the pile and it was missing.

Kate wasn't even supposed to be there that weekend. She'd had plans to spend Christmas in New York with her cousin, but all incoming flights had been canceled because of a blizzard. He'd stopped by the coffee shop on his way out of town to pick up a little caffeine and she'd been there, her hair pulled back, apron strings doubled around her waist. The invitation had just slipped out. It wasn't something he'd planned, but he hadn't wanted her to spend the holiday alone. She'd been surprised, maybe more surprised than he'd been, but had agreed. And he'd felt Sarah watching them the entire time they'd been there. But for some reason, there'd only been this one picture taken of Kate. And Sarah's husband had taken it. And now it was gone.

He picked carefully through the papers left on the bed, through the wastebasket. Nothing. He went back to the dresser. His hands began to move a little more erratically, scattering objects. There was nothing remotely photograph-like left on top. Finally Sam grabbed the dresser and pulled it away from the wall, checking behind it. He pulled the top drawer out, upended it on the bed. Nothing. He sat down on the bed and then fell back on top of the clothing, hands up to his head as he stared at the ceiling.

He'd thought Andy's questions about his sister had been a little out of the blue. And she said she'd had something on her mind. But she hadn't mentioned the picture. Not that he was surprised. If she ever asked him a direct question, he'd probably die of shock. Good training for a cop; an irritating trait in a girlfriend. And if he knew her at all, she was probably rolling it all over in her brains, waiting for it to turn her into a ball of raw nerves. He laid there for a few more minutes and then did the only thing he could think of.

He reached up and snapped the earbuds out of his ears and pulled out his phone. Hit speed dial #2. She answered on the first ring.

"Sarah, hey. What are you doing this weekend?"

* * *

><p>Andy took a quick rinse before leaving the gym, but she swore she could still smell the chlorine on her hair. It surrounded her as she walked out the door of the gym and turned towards Sam's house. It was still early in the evening, and pretty nice out, so instead of calling him for a ride, she decided to walk it. And while she walked, she thought about it for the fourteenth time that day. Why hadn't she just come out and asked him about Kate? Maybe it was better to not know. To not ask. She could live not knowing about their relationship. How the two of them spent their time, the things they said to each other. That stuff wasn't important. The important thing was that she and Sam were together now. And things were good. In fact, they couldn't be better. So there was no reason to bring it up. She was resolved to not think about it again. And as soon as she got back to Sam's, the picture was going back to the drawer where she'd found it.<p>

When Andy walked in the door, he was cooking. She smelled it; onions and peppers sizzling on the stove, steaks under the broiler. He looked up at her and gave her an inquisitive smile, eyebrows raised. She gave him a small wave and walked through the living room and back to the bedroom. She dropped her gym bag on the chair by the window and pulled the picture out of her pocket. It'd gotten a little battered by all the handling, a little creased. She'd changed her mind. It couldn't go back into the drawer. She couldn't make herself put it back. She opened up her purse and tucked it into a pocket, and then left the purse in the bedroom and went out to meet Sam.

They'd been sitting at the table for maybe fifteen minutes. Neither of them had said much; each was considerably lost in thought. Andy was thinking about Kate and Sam sitting down to breakfast with his sister on Christmas morning. Sam was thinking about Andy, about whether or not she had actually found the photograph, about whether she would ever bring it up.

"I talked to Sarah today," he said, shattering the silence.

Andy dropped her fork on the floor. "Oh yeah?" she asked as she bent down and looked around for it. Finally grasping it, she stood up and tossed it in the sink and got another one out of the drawer. "What did she have to say?"

"She's coming up for the half."

Andy spun around. "What?"

"You said you wanted to meet her."

"Yeah, and you said she only comes up like once a month. I thought I'd have a little more time to prepare." She stood frozen in place.

"What do you need to prepare?"

Andy just stared at him. "Me. I have to prepare _me_. I mean," she raised an eyebrow inquisitively. "It's kind of a big step right?" She knew she was fishing. She knew it, and she did it anyway. So much for her resolution.

Sam didn't take the bait. "Well, I love you." He sat back in his chair, propped his ankle up on his knee as he held his plate to his chest. "I don't see that changing anytime soon, so we might as well get it out of the way. Rip the Band-Aid off."

"You really are just the _most_ romantic guy," she said with a smirk. He grinned back at her.

She sat down across from him, started to dig back into her food, but found her appetite had waned. She set the fork on the table instead and sat back in her chair, crossed her arms across her chest. "Does she know about me? Because it would be really awkward if she came expecting someone else, you know what I mean?" They stared at each other. Each daring the other to mention the name that was hanging in the air between them.

Sam took a bite of his food and nodded, chewing and swallowing. "I told her about you."

"What did you tell her?"

A smile spread across his face. "Are you searching for compliments?"

"C'mon." She laughed a little and stretched her leg, hooked his foot with hers and pulled it off his knee. "What did you tell her about me?"

He shrugged. "You know. Some girl I've only been dating for a few weeks is basically living with me."

"I am _not_ living with you," she said stubbornly.

Sam laughed. "You are, a little bit."

"I'm not. In fact, I was going to talk to you about maybe spending some more time at my place."

"Okay." He nodded.

"I'm not," she said one last time, laughing.

"I believe you," he said with a huge smile.

"I'm really glad you invited her though." The smile on her face was genuine, honest; and he suddenly wished he'd done it before he'd made his discovery.

A little guiltily, he stood up and walked his plate over to the sink. As he rinsed it, Andy walked up behind him and slid her arms around his waist, pressed her cheek to his shoulder. He covered her hands with his. "Is there something you want to talk about?" he asked quietly, turning his head to glance over his shoulder. She shook her head, and he turned around, ran his hands over her head, down her hair. "Are you sure?"

She nodded. "I don't really feel much like talking at all," she said, with a smile as she leaned up and pressed her mouth to his.

* * *

><p>The next morning, they walked into the station together but split up to change for parade. He'd almost forgotten about their little indiscretion over the past weekend but it was quickly brought back to light as he entered the locker room. Taped to his door was an advertisement ripped from an astronomy magazine for a new state of the art telescope. He snatched it down and crumpled it in his hand.<p>

"Very funny," he called over his shoulder. He heard Shaw laugh behind him, and turned. "You're on fire this morning, and it's still early."

Oliver couldn't keep the grin off his face. "Sorry, buddy. It was too easy; I couldn't resist." He turned around and started whistling the chorus to Elton John's "Rocket Man" as he left the locker room. Sam hit him with the balled up ad before the door swung shut behind him.

He and Andy ended up at the door to the parade room at almost the exact same time and they looked at each other. "You ready for this?" he asked. She took his hand and pressed something into it.

"Glow in the dark stars. For the ceiling in your truck, I'm guessing," she said with a tight smile.

"Funny."

"Let's just get this over with," she said. He tossed the stars into the trash can and then walked in. They were instantly surrounded by a chorus of hoots and hollers and Andy pushed through the crowd to go sit in the front between Traci and Gail who used two fingers to whistle at her and Sam flashed an irritated look to the people around him and leaned back against the wall next to Oliver who clapped a hand on his shoulder.

"Alright people, I think you've put these two through enough," Frank said, his grin huge. "At least for one day." He tried to sober up his expression. "We have a big day ahead of us. Let's get down to business."

* * *

><p>Wednesday was easier. People hadn't forgotten, but it was Andy's first day back on patrol, and so she only had to put up with it through parade and then she and Gail were sent out together. It didn't escape her attention that she and Sam had been split up, but neither of them made a case of it. Andy was just glad that she was finally on the street again. It had given her no small amount of pleasure to turn in her work release form to Frank that morning and she was hoping for a particularly busy day. She wasn't disappointed.<p>

She and Peck pulled over more than a dozen people that day. Two were hauled in for warrants, five were given tickets for speeding, and three were given Breathalyzers. Of those three, two were booked for impaired driving.

When she met Sam out in the parking lot at the end of the day, she was flying. Though the hours were long, because of the activity the day had passed quickly. The distraction of work had made it possible for her to push the problems between them further away, to become even stronger in her decision to push _Kate_ away. Even after the long day, Andy felt energized; she felt like running. She had another day and a half to wait. When Sam came out of the station they climbed into the truck and he looked at her. "Food?"

"Not yet," she said with a grin on her face.

He turned to her, saw the gleam in her eye and felt his body tense. Her body was practically humming in the seat next to him. Energy was rolling off her in waves and he found himself caught up. "Eventually?" he asked hoarsely.

She nodded. "Eventually."

* * *

><p>She pulled him into the house behind her, and they kicked off their shoes somewhere near the door. Andy pulled her shirt over her head as they hit the living room and it fell behind the couch. Sam grabbed her wrist, pulling her towards him, against him. She leaned up, wrapping her arms around him, laughing as she met his mouth with hers. She broke away and reached down, slid her hands up under his shirt, pulling it up and over his head. It fell in the hallway and he clasped her waist, leaning back against the wall and holding her to him. He ran his hands down her back, wedged his thigh in between hers and she made a small noise in her throat as she ground against him. She grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled and they stumbled down the hallway, jostling photographs on the wall.<p>

They stepped into the bedroom and he turned them around, and she fell onto the bed. She reached down and unbuttoned her jeans and he grabbed them at her feet and yanked them off. She knelt up on the bed and unfastened his. She put her fingers in the waistbands of his jeans and boxer briefs and pulled them down together, sliding them over his hips, over his thighs. He stepped out of them and she reached up for him, pulled him down to the bed. He rolled over and slid up to the head of the bed and she sank down on top of him, straddling his hips. Reaching behind her, she unhooked her bra and pulled off, tossing it off to the side of the bed.

Sam reached up, filled his hands with her, and then ran them down over her ribs to her underwear. Moving his mouth over her face, up behind her ear, he turned her, tumbling her down onto the pillows, eliciting a squeal as he pulled off her last stitch of clothing. He reached up and very carefully pulled the elastic from her hair, allowing it to fall over her shoulder and then turned, pulling her up on top of him again. Andy grinned at him, bent down and used her teeth to gently scrape at his jaw and then he turned his head, capturing her mouth. She leaned over, fumbled in the drawer of the nightstand and withdrew a foil packet. She ripped it open and winked obviously at him while she reached down to put it on him. He laughed at her and put his hands on her hips and he lifted her, guided her. When she sank down onto him, a muffled moan escaped her lips. He breathed in sharply; exhaled. And then he leaned up, mumbled some nonsense in her ear and she kissed him deep and hard and then rode them both to a frantic finish.

* * *

><p>Afterwards, they laid there next to each other, Andy's leg still wrapped over his waist and she told Sam about her day. Even though none of it had been new, after a week of being off the street, it was exciting to her. As he rested there, elbow bent under his head, the only way Sam could think to describe it was that Andy was like a kid who'd been stuck inside all day and had finally been let out for recess. They do the same things they always do; swings, monkey bars, slide. But they do it with such joy. And Andy was full of joy. It was the first time in twenty-four hours that he saw her smile reach her eyes and he ran his hand over her face, down her neck, over her shoulder, just to feel her under his fingers. She leaned over and kissed him and then rolled back on top of him, leaning down, her hair falling in his face as she bent to kiss him again.<p>

"I could do this for hours," she said, slanting her mouth over his. His hands came up, pushed the hair back from her face, out of his face and grinned at her.

"I think if we plan on doing this for hours, I'm going to need some sort of energy replacement." He tipped her over onto her side, held her jaw in his hand as he kissed her once, this time slowly. He ran his hand down over her collarbone, pausing to cup her breast for a second and then down her stomach and over her hip, pressing her against him once. Then he sat up, swung his legs over the side of the bed. She leaned up, wrapped her arms around his shoulders and kissed his cheek.

"I'd like a sandwich, if you're buying. A big one." Sam laughed and stood up. She ran her eyes over him as he pulled on a pair of sweatpants. After dropping one last kiss on her mouth, walked out of the bedroom and into the kitchen, picking up his shirt on the way and pulling it over his head.

Through the windows, he saw that the sun had gone down; the yard was covered in darkness. This kitchen itself was dark, lit only by the tiny light above the stove. He opened the fridge, looked around inside, and started pulling out stuff. He set mayo, turkey, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, and mustard on the counter top and reached into a cabinet and pulled out a loaf of bread. He started building sandwiches, layering meat, cheese and vegetables. Finally, he cut each one in half and stacked them on a plate. He put everything away and poured a tall glass of milk to go with them. As he put the milk back into the fridge, he heard a scraping at his door, the sound of a key being pushed into a lock. He turned around, moved over to the table where his duffel was hanging off a chair and had just reached inside, hand searching for his gun when the door popped open. He shrunk against the wall, waiting for whomever it was to show themselves. He finally found his gun and held it up, angling the barrel towards the window right next to the entryway. After a few seconds, the trespasser walked around the corner, and tossed their keys onto the table. Sam looked at them and quickly lowered his gun.

"Jesus, Sarah. It's called knocking."

She looked up at him and then down at his gun. "Please. I could see you through the window from the driveway. If I'd wanted to kill you, you'd be dead." He rolled his eyes and walked over to her, putting his arms around her shoulders. "I'm still a pretty good shot you know," she said over his shoulder.

"You're not that good," he said with a small laugh. "What are you doing here?" He pulled away, put his gun on the table.

"I had a couple of meetings next week, but since you said _this_ weekend, I thought why not bump them up. I'd have driven up tomorrow morning, but they rescheduled one for 8 AM." Her eyes sparkled and he reached out and pulled one of her curls.

"You could have called to say you were coming."

"Yes, but then it wouldn't have been a surprise," she said with a wide grin. She started to pull off her black leather jacket and then stopped when they heard a noise.

"Sam?" Andy's voice echoed down the hall and he stepped away from Sarah. Sam didn't quite make it to the doorway before he heard her stepping up to the kitchen. She walked in wearing only her bra and a pair of his regular boxers, her hair still in total disarray. She caught sight of Sam and started to say something and then out of the corner of her eye, saw Sarah give her a little wave and she squeaked and turned around and high-tailed it back to the bedroom. Sam turned to Sarah, unable to control his face.

"That was Andy," he said, trying not to laugh. He heard curses coming from the bedroom and some scuffling as Andy tried to stifle her embarrassment and search out some actual clothing.

Sarah pressed her lips together, trying not to laugh. "She seems charming."

* * *

><p>Five minutes later, Andy sat across from Sarah at the table, fully dressed; face still a little flushed. Sarah and Sam were bullshitting, talking about people she didn't know. But she took the opportunity to study Sarah. The impossible curls hung low over her slim shoulders, and they were dark, spun with random strands of premature silver. Except for the faint laugh lines around her eyes, her face was free of wrinkles. In fact, if Andy didn't know better, she might think her younger than her brother. But the thing that surprised Andy was her eyes. In the photo they'd looked dark, but it must have been a trick of light, because in person they were the most remarkable shade of green. Bright and sparkling, they turned on her and Andy lost her grip on her sandwich momentarily, dropping a large slice of pickle from the middle.<p>

"So Andy," Sarah said. "How'd you get mixed up with this guy over here? Lose a bet?"

Sam rolled his eyes. "Nice," he muttered. He stood up and walked to the fridge, pulling out another beer for his sister.

"Um, he didn't tell you?" Sarah shook her head. Andy's eyes went to Sam, her mouth curving into a smile as he looked at her. "He was my training officer."

Sarah nodded and then froze, a tiny smile on her face. "Wait a second. You're the one that burned him, right? On his big undercover job?" She sat back and took a long drink of her beer.

Andy gave her a stiff smile. "Never going to live that one down, am I?"

"Probably not." Sarah smiled at her. "So, how did all this," she gestured back and forth between the two of them, "happen?"

"Uh…" Andy looked at Sam whose smile had shrunk a little, and he was looking at his sister with a cautious expression on his face, and she was looking right back at him, an eyebrow raised in question. Finally she looked away and turned back to Andy.

"I'm just curious, because the last time I saw him, I think this situation was a little different." Again, the name _Kate_ floated above the occupants of the kitchen, never spoken. Sam watched as that little light that had been burning behind Andy's eyes for the past few hours suddenly faded to almost nothing.

Sam shook his head slightly, his expression hardening. "I think that's a story for another night, don't you?"

Sarah stared at him curiously for another second and then turned to Andy and smiled. "I guess I do. I think I should get going to my hotel." She stood up and picked her jacket up off the back of the chair.

"You booked a room?" Sam asked in disbelief.

"Actually, I haven't, but it looks like you two have plans so, I'm just going to make myself scarce." She swung it around, stuck her arms through the holes and started buttoning it up.

He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the counter. "You can't stay in a hotel for the entire time you're here. I do have a guest room."

"I know, and the bed is a medieval torture device."

"Um, I have an idea," Andy said, interrupting them. They both turned to her, the exact same movement at the exact same time. _Unnerving._ "My apartment is empty. You could stay there. The bed is really comfortable." They both stared at her. Finally, Sam spoke, shaking his head.

"That's okay. She can stay in the guest room."

A sly smile spread over Sarah's face. "Actually Andy, that sounds perfect."

"I'll just go get dressed and we can run you over and change the sheets and I can show you where the towels are and everything." Andy flashed a nervous smile and left the room.

Sarah looked innocently over at Sam whose expression was dark. "She's sweet. A little young for you though, don't you think?"

He shook his head at her, a dangerous look on his face. "Don't even start with me right now." He followed Andy back to the bedroom.

She was pulling on the too-large hoodie over her T-shirt and flannel pants when he walked in. "You don't have to do this, you know. She's perfectly capable of sleeping in the guest room."

She sat down on the bed and started pulling on her socks. "Yeah, well, I don't have anything to hide. She can go and snoop through my stuff all she wants. She's not going to find anything that'll tell her we don't belong together." She flashed an uncomfortable smile as she stood up and grabbed her purse off the floor. "And maybe this way, she'll like me faster."

He put his hands on her arms. "I told you; I don't care if she likes you."

Andy shook him off. "Yeah, well _I_ do." She shrugged. "She's just testing me. You warned me it wouldn't be easy." She walked out of the room and he reached down and snagged his wallet from the pocket of his jeans and followed her.

* * *

><p><strong>Don't worry, Sarah might warm up a little. Maybe.<strong>

**Also, thanks to Cocobean2206 and everyone who continues to read. You guys are fantastic.**


	17. Chapter 17

**Note: Alright people. Longest chapter yet. This chapter is dedicated to everyone who has been faithfully reading from beginning til now (no, not quite the end yet) and special thanks of course to Cocobean2206 and to icewitch73 (for her words of wisdom concerning the matter of drama ;) ) Be kind, review.**

**Warning: a lot of dialogue. A LOT. Oh and Sam drops the F-bomb. If that offends you, ignore it.**

* * *

><p>Sam and Andy got into his truck and led Sarah over to Andy's building. She let them in and flipped on the lights. Sarah walked in and looked around.<p>

"Clean."

"Yeah, well, I haven't really spent much time here lately." She walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge. "I don't really have much food, but there's a store a few blocks away. Dishes are all done. Use whatever you want." She stepped out of the kitchen. "Bedroom's down here." Sarah followed her, pausing to look at the pictures on the wall.

"Who did these?" she asked pointing at the photos from the 10K.

"Oh, um, my friend Traci."

Sarah nodded, peering closely at them. "Let me know if you want any more." Andy looked at her in surprise. Sarah smiled and shrugged. "I was going to take some at the race anyway."

They continued down the hallway and Sam followed. Andy showed her into the bedroom. She went to the closet and got a bag out and transferred all her dirty laundry from the basket into it. "Um, sheets are in the closet in the hallway. Sam?" He backed out and opened the slatted door and pulled out a set. Andy pulled off the comforter, then the sheets and grabbed the pillows out of the cases. "Bed's almost brand new. So you shouldn't have any problems there." She moved around the room nervously, watching as Sarah and Sam started making the bed. "Towels are in the same closet, but I'll just pull some out for you." She left the room, ducked into the closet and then walked across to the bathroom.

* * *

><p>"So, are you ever going to tell me how this happened?" Sarah whispered as she unfolded the fitted sheet.<p>

"I was with Kate, and now I'm not," Sam said as he grabbed a corner of it and tucked it over the end of the mattress. "That's all you need to know." He looked over his shoulder. "And it wouldn't kill you to be nice to her."

"I am being nice to her," she said, grinning.

"Fine. Nic_er_." He whipped open the flat sheet and waved in air a few times to unfold it.

"I _am_ going to get the story one way or another, you know. You might as well just spill it."

* * *

><p>Andy walked into the bathroom with the towels and closed the door. She looked at herself in the mirror. She looked okay, she thought, as a girl meeting her boyfriend's sister. Fully dressed and everything. She didn't quite want to admit it to herself, but even after Sam's description of her, she'd kind of expected Sarah to warm to her instantly, and so she was still a little surprised that she hadn't. But that was okay. She'd stick it out. At the worst, she'd have to put up with it for 5 days. Not even a full week. It was doable. A knock sounded at the door and she jumped.<p>

She turned the knob and pulled it open. Sam stood there looking at her. "I have to go down and get her bags. Do you want to come, or are you going to be okay?"

"I think I can handle two minutes alone with her."

"Just checking," he said with a grin.

Andy took a deep breath and walked back into the bedroom where Sarah was poking around, looking at the magazines in a stack on the floor.

"He should be back any minute," Andy said.

Sarah sat on the bed and looked at her. Stared at her. After a few moments, Andy started getting uncomfortable and looked down at her clothing, wondering if she'd spilled something on herself.

"What?"

Sarah shook her head, a curious expression on her face. "I'm just wondering what it is about you that caused my brother to end the longest relationship he's had in years."

Andy stiffened, the nervous smile dropping from her face. Seeing her barb had hit the mark, Sarah smiled a little.

"Is that true? Kate was the longest relationship he's had?" she asked quietly.

Sarah shrugged. "Not the longest ever. But in a really long time? Yeah." She frowned, creating a few tiny lines between her eyebrows. "He didn't tell you?"

Andy shook her head in the negative, feeling her stomach knot a little. Sam must have been running because Andy heard him open the door, heard bags fall to the floor and Sarah rushed past her out of the room, calling to him to be careful with her camera equipment. Andy took another deep breath.

"Five days," she muttered under her breath as she turned and left the room.

* * *

><p>Twenty minutes later, they were back at the house, getting ready for bed. Andy had been quiet since they'd left her place and he looked at her as he pulled off his shirt. "Did she say something to you?" As her eyes met his, he nodded. "Of course she did. Even after I asked her to be nice."<p>

Andy was tugging on a pair of shorts and looked up at him in surprise. "You asked her to be nice? God, no wonder."

He frowned, eyes narrowing a little. "What did she say?"

"Nothing. It doesn't matter. I can take it." She took the sweatshirt off, then the T-shirt and pulled on a thin, ribbed tank top.

He laughed. "McNally, I thought you were supposed to be learning how to read people." She looked at him confused. "She doesn't want you to take it; she wants you to push back."

"You're kidding."

He shook his head, eyebrows raised, and a small smile playing on his lips.

"She really wants me to be mean to her?"

"Not mean. Just… Don't let her get away with it." Andy nodded, thinking about it. "So what did she say?"

She looked at him and shrugged. "Nothing I haven't been thinking about already."

They turned flipped on one of the lamps to see by and turned the room light off, and crawled into bed. As Andy reached up to turn the lamp back off, Sam moved the pillows around, flipped the blanket down so it covered them from the knees down and pulled the sheet up over their shoulders. Andy lay down on her side and he put his arm over her, flattening his hand against her ribcage just under her breast and pressed a kiss against the back of her shoulder.

"Goodnight."

She smiled, even though she knew he couldn't see and whispered, "Goodnight," over her shoulder. Soon, she heard his breathing deepen, felt his arm around her relax and she knew he was sleeping. But she stared into the darkness, unable to rest. She waited a while. She waited maybe forty minutes, watching the clock the whole time before she rolled out from under his arm and walked out of the room and into the living room. Her hands fumbled in the darkness, patting the area where she knew there was usually a blanket until she found it, and then she set the alarm on her phone and curled up on the couch.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Andy stood in front of the mirror braiding her hair. Less than four feet away, Sam was in the shower, humming a little off key to himself as he soaped up. She yawned and glanced over with narrowed eyes. She'd slept for maybe three hours. The conversations with Sarah had been running on repeat through her head for most of the night and once she'd finally dropped off, someone's car alarm had decided to make itself known. After that, she'd rolled over on the couch and turned on the television to some infomercial, and that's where Sam found her the next morning, twelve minutes before her alarm went off.<p>

"Someone's in a good mood today," she grumbled.

"Can't think of any reason not to be," he said good-naturedly.

"How about the fact that the sun's barely up and we're both awake?"

He laughed. "If you were running, you wouldn't care if the sun was up."

"One more day," she said, feeling her mood lighten the tiniest amount.

"Less than 24 hours," he corrected.

"Really, what difference could twelve hours make?" she asked, poking her head into the shower. He batted some water at her and she popped back out. "We could do a quick one over lunch."

"You mean the lunch we're supposed to have with my sister?"

"Oh, was that today?" Andy asked. "Completely slipped my mind." She wrapped an elastic band around the end of her braid.

He laughed. "I'm sure." Andy swiped on a single coat of mascara and smoothed a few stray strands of hair back. "It'll be fine," Sam said over the noise from the shower. "At least we know you'll be wearing clothes." He chuckled to himself and Andy wiped a small bit of lipstick off her face and smirked as she flushed the toilet. She left the room, giggling at the strangled curse that came from behind the curtain as she closed the door.

* * *

><p>"She's a nightmare," Andy said quietly to Traci as she watched the door to the parade room for Sam. "You know she actually asked me why I was better for Sam than Kate?"<p>

"She did not!" Traci said, a shocked look spreading across her face.

"Not in so many words, but I know that's what she meant."

"It sounds like she's trying to get a rise out of you," Gail said from her other side as she flipped through her notepad.

Andy looked over at her in surprise. "That's what he said. He said she wants me to fight back."

"Seems pretty obvious."

"Well, no wonder she liked Kate," Traci said.

Andy turned to her. "Why?"

Traci shrugged. "She said it herself. She's pushy."

"Great. So lately, the two most important women in his life have been pushy and mean."

"Yeah, Kate's not mean."

"No," Andy said slowly, widening her eyes. "But I like to_ pretend_ she is, okay? Makes me feel better."

"And I wouldn't say that she was more important to him than you."

Andy smiled at Traci. "Finally. A nice word. How hard is that?" She pulled the picture out of the pocket on her thigh and held it up. "I was looking at this earlier. Now tell me, does it look like he's smiling at Sarah or at Kate?"

Traci grabbed it out of her hand and folded it in half, despite Andy's cry of protest. "Stop carrying this around. It's poison."

"Damnit, Trace. Now he's going to know I took it." Andy grabbed it back and tried to smooth the crease.

"If he really _was_ saving it, he already knows it's gone, so just ask him about it."

"Fine." She made a face. "I'll ask him tonight."

* * *

><p>Andy was paired with Shaw again for the day and she was praying for some extremely complicated time-consuming case to pop up possibly an hour before lunch so she could skip out, but unfortunately, except for a call about a stolen bicycle and a couple of traffic tickets, her morning was unbelievably free. When Shaw pulled up outside the diner, she looked at him. "Are you sure you don't want to come in with me? I'll buy your lunch."<p>

"Yeah, you'd be doing that anyway, so there's not really much incentive."

"I'll spring for dessert?"

"Just go. She's not as bad as you think."

"You know her?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I've known her a few years."

"Any tips?"

"You'll be fine. Just don't let her smell your fear," he said with a grin.

"You really know how to put someone at ease, you know?"

He laughed. "Get outta here."

She climbed out of the car and stood on the sidewalk for a few seconds, scanning the area for Sam as Shaw pulled away. She was a few minutes early, but Sarah's car was parked in a slot near the corner. The last thing she wanted was to have to sit in there alone with her, wondering when he was going to show. She pulled out her phone and started firing off a text but as she hit the send button, she saw him barreling around the corner. He pulled the squad car up to the curb and parked it and got out.

"You ready?"

She smiled and nodded. "Ready as I'll ever be."

He grinned and put his hand on her waist, leading her inside.

Sarah was waiting at a table, a menu open in front of her. She took a sip from the paper coffee cup she'd brought in with her as Sam slid in the booth across from her.

"Where's Andy?"

"Restroom." His eyes moved over the coffee cup she held in her hand and he snatched it away from her. "Where'd you get this?"

She shrugged. "I stopped over at Kate's before I came here."

"Why would you do that?" he asked quietly.

"She sells art by local artists. I happen to _be_ a local artist. It's not that big of a stretch." His expression didn't change. "Look, she's been selling my sketches and pottery there for months; since we talked about it at Christmas. I just went in to give her some more and find out how they were selling. She didn't even ask about you."

Sam got up and walked to the front, tossing the cup in the trash. He came back and slid in to the seat and looked over his shoulder towards the bathrooms. "Don't say anything about that to Andy; I'm warning you."

She held her hands up. "Fine." She smirked. "What do you think you're going to do anyway? Arrest me?"

"I'll call Cooper," he said, sitting back in the seat with a smug look on his face, arms crossed over his chest.

"You wouldn't," she hissed.

"Try me," he said as Andy walked up. He got out and let her slide in, partly because he was afraid that if she were on the outside, she'd bolt as soon as she was given the chance.

"What are you talking about?" she asked as she picked up a menu and scanned it, mainly to keep herself busy. She knew everything on it already.

"Sarah's husband."

"You're _married_?" The words flew out of her mouth without warning and with such disbelief that her eyes widened as soon as she realized how it sounded.

Sarah smirked. "Hard to believe, isn't it?"

Andy's eyebrows jumped. "A little bit, yeah." She glanced over at Sam and saw he was also becoming very interested in the menu, trying to hold back the smile that was pushing its way through. "Is he…what's he like?"

"You mean is he an asshole?" Sarah laughed. "He's actually a very nice man. A surprise, I know."

"Yeah, well, they say opposites attract, right?" Andy said. Next to her she heard Sam chuckle under his breath and she looked back at Sarah. "How did you meet?"

"We teach at the same school. He teaches history, and I…well you know what I do, I'm sure." Andy nodded.

The server came around and took their orders, dropped off their drinks and Andy looked over at Sarah.

"So you're an artist. What kind of art do you do?"

"A little of this, a little of that. Lately, photography and pottery. I still do a little painting." She looked at Andy, noticing the stiff set of her shoulders, the way her fingers tapped against her water glass. "Cops tend to carry around a lot of stress. Painting is a good way to get the demons out. Ever try it?" She raised an eyebrow at her and Andy smiled.

She looked over at Sam who was taking a drink of water and took his hand. "I already have something for that." He coughed a little as he sucked water down his windpipe. Sarah tried to hold back her grin as Andy's face colored and she realized what they thought.

"No. No! Not that. I mean, I run. I'm a runner," she said, trying to correct herself. She pulled her hand away from Sam's and covered her eyes as she felt the blood rush up. "God, it's like I have a disease or something." Sarah was laughing across from her, and Andy looked up, saw Sam laughing too. Then they both looked at her and Andy got a double dose of the Swarek dimples.

The embarrassment subsided eventually and the three of them talked until the food came. While they were eating, Sarah asked about Shaw and Barber and about how things were going at the division. Sam invited her to meet them at the Penny later that night and Andy tried to keep her face neutral. She'd been hoping to go back and sleep as soon as they got off work. The night on the couch had taken its toll and after she filled her stomach, she felt ready for a nap.

Sam took her hand under the table, held it on his leg and began drawing small circles on the back of her hand with his thumb. She propped her head up on her other hand and looked at him. He was very carefully avoiding her eyes, but she felt the pressure on her hand increase and she pulled it away, laid it flat against his thigh and started running it up very slowly. His hand came down on hers and took it off his leg, twisting out of the booth as he did it. "I'll be right back," he said, giving them both a quick smile as he headed over to the restrooms. Andy hid her amusement as she turned back to her plate and picked at the rest of her sandwich.

"Can I ask you something?" Sarah asked a minute later, looking at her curiously. Andy raised her head and met her eyes with a nod. "Did you two start sleeping together before or after they ended it?"

Andy looked at her and her expression hardened. "If I were you, I might be nicer to the person who's saving you hundreds of dollars in hotel bills this weekend," she snapped.

Sarah sat back in her seat and folded her arms as a small smile started working at the corners of her mouth. "You just got a little more interesting, Andy McNally." The server came by with their check and as Andy reached for it, Sarah snatched it out of her hand and one eyebrow jumped. "Since I'm saving so much money, I might as well get this." She stood up and put her purse over her shoulder and walked over to the cash register.

Andy sat back in her seat and smiled to herself, a little proud. Sam slid back in next to her.

"She's paying? She never pays." Andy turned her head to look at him and smiled, leaning forward to press a kiss against his lips. As she pulled away, she looked across the room and as Sarah turned, she met her eyes and gave her a smile. Though it appeared sincere, it made her nervous.

She froze, and Sam raised his hand up, stroked his thumb across her jaw. "What's wrong?"

She shook her head, flashed an uneasy smile. "Nothing. We'd better get out of here. I can't believe I haven't heard from Oliver yet."

"We'll just call on the radio and I can drop you off." She nodded, wordlessly and gathered her things together, tucking her wallet into the pocket with the picture and they both got up and walked over to the door to meet Sarah.

* * *

><p>After shift that same night, Andy sat with Traci at a table in the corner of the Penny, watching the door. Sam had gone to pick up his sister a half hour ago and had yet to show up. She took a drink of the water she had in front of her.<p>

"Are you sure you don't want anything stronger?" Traci asked her.

Andy smiled. "I get to run tomorrow. I don't want to do it hung over." Also she was tired. She was feeling the huge weight of stress from her ruminations over Kate, over having to deal with Sarah.

"We'll see how long that lasts," Traci said, breaking into her thoughts, and nodded towards the door where Sam and Sarah had just entered. Sarah walked immediately over to the table with Shaw and Barber and Sam looked around for Andy, waving her over when he met her eyes.

She looked at Traci. "Are you coming?"

She laughed. "Yeah, like I'd miss this."

They walked over and the guys freed up some chairs for them from a nearby table. Andy sat down next to Sam and smiled good-naturedly at Sarah, even though she wasn't really feeling it. Sarah looked at her curiously, nothing the tired droop of Andy's shoulders, and the almost listless way she followed the conversation.

"Andy, are you alright?" she asked, sounding genuinely concerned.

She nodded and sat up straighter, tried to look more engaged. "Yeah, I just didn't sleep very well last night. I'll probably leave with Traci, whenever she goes." She took another sip from her water. Sam was looking at her strangely and he put his arm around her shoulders and kissed her temple.

"So, Sarah," Jerry said, looking over at her. "Are you going to be in town long enough for me to win my money back?"

She looked at him out of the corner of her eye. "I don't think there's enough time left in the world."

He laughed and Andy frowned. "You play poker with these guys?"

Sarah nodded. "Yeah, it's been a while though. A few months at least. Apparently Jerry's still hurting over it."

Shaw grinned. "McNally, who do you think taught Sammy here to bluff?"

"Hey, she did not _teach_ me," Sam argued. And then relented. "She just gave me some pointers." Andy turned to look at him and smiled, surprised. "I was a kid; it wasn't last week or anything." Sarah just grinned proudly. But Andy could see it. Sam had used the phrase "finely-tuned bullshit detector" and the way Sarah's eyes moved over people when they talked, she could imagine her being a terror at the poker table. They continued to talk and Andy looked over at Traci who was watching the interaction between the four with rapt attention.

She glanced over at Andy and gave her a puzzled look, and mouthed, _she's not that bad_. Andy rolled her eyes.

Andy sat there a while longer and finally nudged Traci under the table with her foot and Traci looked at her and nodded and pulled her coat off the back of her chair.

"I think I'm going to take off. Andy?"

"Yep, I'm ready." She stood up.

"McNally, wait." Sam stood up. "Be right back, Nash." He grabbed Andy's hand and pulled her back toward the kitchen, around a corner. She leaned against the wall. "Do you want me to take you? Sarah can get a ride with one of these guys."

Andy shook her head and smiled, putting her hand on his chest. "No, you should stay. Have a good time. We're getting up early though, so don't drink too much." He laughed and put a hand on the wall next to her head, placing his other one on her waist, stroking up and down. She took a deep breath and looked at him. "I think she's still a little curious about us, about how we got together," she said. He leaned down and brushed his mouth against hers, once.

"She's not." He kissed her again, and she lifted her hands, placed one on either side of his face, holding him in place as his tongue slowly stroked in and out of her mouth. Then she broke away.

"Are you sure? Because she said something today."

"McNally, I told her what happened. It's none of her business anyway." He moved his mouth down to her neck, leaving light kisses in a trail down to her collarbone.

"I really want to talk to you about this, and about something else too," she said.

He pulled away and used both hands to push the hair out of her face. "And I'm doing some of my best work here, so pay attention," he said with a grin. He pulled her hips against him and as he bent once more to her, her arms went around his neck and she gave a small sigh as his mouth sank down onto hers. They stayed that way, locked together for a few moments until someone pushed through the swinging door, carrying a tray of food. And then they laughed and stumbled out of the way, against the wall and he pulled away.

"Are you _sure_ you don't want me to take you home?" He asked, his voice rough. She sucked in a breath and opened her eyes.

"You don't get a lot of time with Sarah. You should stay. We'll have time later." She said.

"We still have a little time now," he said with a small smile and he pulled her to him one more time.

* * *

><p>Sarah watched them go, watched Nash get up to settle her tab. And then she turned to Shaw and Jerry.<p>

"What do you think of her?"

"McNally?" Shaw raised his eyebrows and looked at Jerry. "I don't really think we should be talking to you about this."

"Why?"

"Because she's not just his girlfriend; she's our coworker."

"Just tell me."

"Why?"

"I'm getting a vibe off her, and I just want to know if I'm right."

They looked at each other again, clearly uncomfortable. "McNally's a good cop." Sarah looked unimpressed. Shaw leaned forward, watching for Sam. "Listen, she's new, she's young, a little naïve. But she's honest, and she really cares about her job and about him."

Sarah glanced back to where they'd disappeared. "Naïve isn't always a bad thing," she said a little thoughtfully. "He seems really happy. Is he?"

They both nodded. "Yeah, he is. He's been waiting a long time for this," Jerry said, sipping at his drink. Sarah nodded and turned back to them. She looked at Jerry.

"Are you still banging around alone in that big empty house of yours?"

He pursed his lips and they spread into a smile as he nodded once. "For the most part."

"I think I'll have a little time on Sunday night, if you boys think you can afford it, but you've got to help me out with something."

* * *

><p>When Sam got home that night, he let himself in the back door, tossed his keys on the table and pulled his coat off, hanging it over the back of a chair. His shoes came off and he walked through the dark house and back to the bedroom. Not turning on the light, he pulled off his clothing and climbed into bed in his underwear, head hitting the pillow as his hand reached out for Andy. It touched nothing but the sheet. He sat up, frowning and clicked on the lamp. Her side was empty. There was a dip in the pillow where her head had rested; it was a little damp, probably because she'd showered before climbing in. He climbed over the bed and walked out of the room, back to the living room.<p>

He hadn't even seen her on his first trip through. She was curled on the couch, face turned toward the back, afghan pulled up over her shoulder, bare feet sticking out the end. He scrubbed a hand over his face tiredly as he stared down at her. Two nights in a row on the couch couldn't mean anything good. He bent down and put his hand on her arm; she didn't move. If she was really as tired as she'd seemed, maybe he should just leave her. But he didn't think she'd be feeling very good in the morning if she slept crammed on that sofa all night. He pulled a lock of hair out of her face and then slid his arms under her knees and her shoulders and lifted her. She turned against him and her eyes opened as he pulled her up to his chest.

"What are you doing?"

"Go back to sleep," he whispered as he carried her back into the bedroom. He laid her down on the bed and she turned toward the middle as he pulled off the afghan and brought up the sheet and blanket to cover her. And then he climbed into bed next to her and waited. It took a few minutes, but eventually she sank back under and he reached out and touched her face gently and then closed his eyes and went to sleep.

* * *

><p>Sam woke the next morning to his alarm. He slowly opened his eyes, and focused and realized he was looking at an empty spot next to him. Muttering curses under his breath, he let his legs drop off the side of the bed and pushed himself up. He ran a hand through his hair, scratching his head as he yawned and left the room. If he found her on that couch again… But he entered the living room and Andy wasn't there. He turned and went into the kitchen and stopped short as he saw her leaning against the counter, fully dressed in her running gear, barefoot, and eating a banana.<p>

"Get dressed."

He just looked at her, still only half awake. Finally he cleared his throat. "You know some people get sick if they eat right before they run."

She patted her middle. "Iron stomach. Get dressed," she repeated.

"How long have you been up?"

She looked down as she peeled the rest of the banana. "A while." She'd actually been up for almost two hours. Dreams. Her eyes raised to his and he yawned, nodding sleepily as he turned and walked back to the bedroom to get dressed.

When he came back out, Andy was sitting on a chair, foot propped up on another one, just starting to tape her ankle.

"Does it hurt?"

She shook her head. "Nope. It's just in case."

"Want me to do it?"

"I think I've got it." He pulled a bottle of water from the fridge, threw a piece of bread into the toaster and turned, watching her wrap it slowly.

There was a knock on the door and Andy looked over her shoulder and then back at him. "Don't even tell me."

He shrugged. "She told me she wants to watch." He moved to go open the door.

"Why? It can't be that exciting."

"She wants some pre-race shots."

"Great," Andy muttered under her breath.

He grinned. "I think she's starting to warm up to you."

Andy rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I'm sure," she said as he pulled the door open.

The three of them piled into Sarah's car and drove the twelve blocks to the park. Even though it was within their running distance, it was easier to cart Sarah's equipment and this way, she'd be in the park while they were running, instead of getting there as they finished. She found a bench and sat down, getting everything ready as they started running slowly.

Sarah had been unbelievably polite that morning. She'd brought over a box of doughnuts which was now sitting on Sam's kitchen counter, waiting for their return. And she'd been extremely attentive to Andy, almost to the point of being annoying. But Andy could forget about her as long as she was running. She had other things to think about. During their warm up, she was counting out her breaths in her head. In for three paces, out for two. After a few minutes, without meaning to, she felt herself speed up. Next to her, she heard Sam's breathing speed up and sound a little forced, but he kept up with her. Her muscles remembered. After the first mile they loosened up and she pushed a little harder. The little voice in her iPod was talking to her, stating her distance and pace. She was shaving a full thirty seconds off her normal time, and she knew she wouldn't be able to keep it up, but it just felt so good to try. Her breath was coming quicker now. In for two, out for one. They ran a few loops through the park, ending at a little over 3 miles. Afterwards, she was a little out of breath, but she thought she could probably have run another mile at that speed, maybe another two or three if she'd dropped it down a little.

"I don't think that was what the doctor had in mind when he said to do an easy run," Sam said as he wiped the sweat off his face. She stepped up to him; put her hand on his shoulder to balance herself as she reached behind her for her ankle to stretch her quads. She leaned into him slightly, pulling her foot up to meet her butt, feeling the stretch along the entire front of her thigh. She changed hands, stretched the other leg. "How does it feel?" Sam asked.

"Feels good. Feels like I never stopped."

"You tired?"

She considered it. "Not really. If I'd started slower, I think I could have done a lot more." She bent down, grabbed her toes, held the stretch for half a minute. "Endurance is good," she said as she straightened.

Sam grinned and leaned in, and she squirmed a little, feeling his lips on her ear. "That's because you've been getting in a good workout _off_ your feet," he said, his voice liquid, running through her like gasoline, setting all her nerves on fire. He pressed a kiss below her ear, tasting the salt on her skin. And as he suggested maybe they try to sneak in some more exercise before work, she laughed, coloring a little as she saw Sarah watching them from the bench maybe ten meters away, holding her camera in her hands. Sam saw Andy looking at his sister and he turned her face back to him.

This was his favorite side of Andy. She was impressive as a cop, and he loved it when they were just hanging out, doing nothing. But here, seeing her focus, seeing her try, it only strengthened his feelings for her. Face alight with the afterglow of a run, body strong and slippery with sweat. Sam remembered all the runs they'd finished when he'd wanted to pull her to him, holding her hot body against his and he did it. He leaned over and slanted his mouth across hers, and then he grabbed her shirt in his fists, holding her full length against him until he heard his sister yell.

"Hey, knock it off. You're making me blush over here." Andy broke away, laughing and pulled out of his hands.

"Alright," he yelled back to her. "Let's get outta here." He and Andy picked their jackets up off the ground and started walking back to the car. He grabbed the front of his shirt, pulling it in and out, getting some of the early morning cold air underneath to cool his skin. Andy pulled her jacket on, feeling the air raise goosebumps on her skin and after she'd gotten it zipped, she felt his hand close around hers. She looked up at him and she realized that for the last hour or so, she hadn't really thought about Kate, or the picture, or Sarah. She smiled, feeling no small amount of relief spread through her when he smiled back.

* * *

><p>After the great start, the day took a strange turn. They sat in parade in their usual spots, Andy up front and Sam in the back when at the end of the day's run through, Best turned and looked at Andy and then addressed the group.<p>

"Also, let's not forget that some of your fellow officers will be participating in the mini marathon in two days. If you're not on shift, try and get out there and support them. Detective Barber?"

Jerry turned around. "_I've been told,_" he began cryptically, "that anyone who _does_ show up, is also invited to my place for a celebratory congratulations party thing, afterwards. A little food, booze. Some music; maybe some cards." Andy gave him a confused look and then turned to give Sam the same look. He shrugged.

"Thanks, buddy," he said.

Jerry looked at him and grinned. "Oh, don't thank me. Not my idea."

* * *

><p>After shift, Sam called in an order to the Chinese restaurant near his place and they got into his truck and headed over there. On the walk between the truck and the entrance, Sam put his arm around Andy's waist, pulling her against him. They walked into the restaurant and as they both turned toward the counter, Andy felt his arm drop away and she turned to look at him. But he was looking somewhere else. She followed his eye line and when it ended, she saw Kate. She was walking out of the dining area with a few friends. She was almost on top of them before she saw them.<p>

She stopped short and when her friends looked at her in surprise, she gave them a nod and told them to go out and wait for her. She turned to look at Sam and Andy and smiled, all apparent discomfort disappearing instantly.

"Wow, hi."

"Hey," Sam said. Andy mumbled a greeting. Kate's eyes met hers, and though she willed herself to look back, she felt her gaze slide away.

"This is really awkward, isn't it?" Kate asked with a small laugh.

"No, it's fine," Sam said, looking at her.

Andy took a step back, and then another. "I'm going to go check on our order." He looked at her and nodded. And then she turned away and walked quickly to the counter, gave them Sam's name and paid. While she waited for them to bring up the food, she turned around, unable to resist. Sam and Kate were standing together, maybe couple feet apart. And they were talking. Apparently as long as she wasn't standing there, feeling uncomfortable, conversation could still flow between them. Her face was tilted up a little, and she must have said something funny, because his face broke into an easy grin, and she smiled back at him, eyes shrinking into happy semi-circles. Kate had her hands on her hips under her jacket and at one point reached out and put her hand on his arm, fingers squeezing into the black leather of his jacket. Andy felt her heart pick up.

"Ma'am?" She spun around and gave the cashier a quick smile as she took the bag of food. She turned back and then took a deep breath and walked over.

"Here." She passed the bag over to him and pointed towards the restrooms. "I'm just going to…" He nodded and she walked around the corner. She used the bathroom, washed her hands and walked back out, hoping that by the time she reached them, Kate would be gone, and Sam would be waiting. But as she walked down the hall, she heard the light musical sound of Kate's laugh and she stopped in her tracks. She could hear them. She bit her lip and shook her head, angry at herself, but she stayed put. Kate's voice was a little muffled, but the words were audible and they cut her in half.

"You know, Sam, after your sister coming to see me yesterday, and now running into you here, it's almost starting to feel like a sign. Like maybe I made a mistake."

Andy's fingers clenched into fists and she waited for his response, but he said nothing. She imagined his face, eyebrows up in slight surprise, lips parted as he tried to figure out what to say.

"Oh well," she said a beat later. "Too late now, I guess." There was a short pause and then she said. "So, anyway, I guess I'll see you. Tell Andy I said goodbye." And then Andy heard the heels of her boots click against the tile floor and then stop as she went out the door. Andy waited another thirty seconds, feeling things swim around inside her until she finally walked back around the corner.

He gave her a smile and held out his arm and she walked over, unable to relax as he put it around her. They walked outside and approached the truck. "So, what did Kate have to say?" she asked. Her voice didn't sound normal. It sounded strained and uncomfortable to hear ears. But Sam didn't seem to notice.

"Nothing important." She looked at him out of the corner of her eye and nodded, pulling away as they reached her door. She got in and he passed the bag to her and she set it between the seats, put on her belt and looked out the window. When he got in, she didn't look at him and he felt a tiny bit of apprehension as he pulled the truck into reverse and backed out of the space, and then pulled out of the parking lot.

* * *

><p>Andy unlocked the door to the house and swung it open, stepping out of the way as Sam carried the bag of food in behind her. She dropped both their duffels on the floor under the window and pulled a bottle of water from the fridge. Sam set the food on the counter. He paused for a second, hand inside the bag and finally closed it around a carton and pulled it out as her name escaped his lips. He turned, but caught only the sight of her back as she walked out of the room.<p>

He turned back to the bag, started pulling stuff out and setting it first on the counter, and then after everything had been taken out, pulled plates and silverware from the cupboard and moved everything over to the table.

Andy walked down the dark hall and pushed open the bathroom door. Closing it solidly behind her, she turned the lock and backed into the room. She flipped the lid on the toilet down and sat carefully on it. In the truck she hadn't been able to think. Hadn't been able to form words. Well the words weren't coming any easier now, but the thinking… Now she couldn't _stop_ thinking. She leaned her elbows down onto her knees, bent over and fisted her hands in her hair as she remembered what they'd looked like when she'd turned around. For a second, it had been like stepping back in time for Andy. She remembered them standing the exact same way, looking at each other the exact same way right in this house, in the kitchen before every run they'd taken together this last winter.

Her heart was hammering against her chest. She couldn't stop it, couldn't calm herself. It was almost like every nightmare she'd ever had about this situation, waking or sleeping, was suddenly coming to light, and all she could do was sit back and watch. And he'd lied to her. She sat there for a few more minutes, letting the scene play and replay behind her eyes until she heard a knock at the door.

* * *

><p>Sam sat at the table waiting for her. He looked at his watch. So far, he'd been waiting ten minutes. The radio had been turned on to a station that was playing some alternative rock and he put his hands palms down on top of the table, tapping his thumbs against the surface in time with the music for a few seconds before he finally stood up, shoving his chair back from the table and walked back down the hall.<p>

The light was off, and he left it off, walking slowly to the end. There was nothing but darkness in the bedroom and the guest room and so he turned to the bathroom. There was a sliver of light showing underneath the door and for a second, he just leaned his forehead against it, listening. He heard nothing. No sounds at all. He exhaled slowly and closed his eyes. He'd done this all wrong. He should have just confronted her the second he realized that something was off. Instead he tried to play her game. After another half a minute or so, he raised his hand, knocked gently on the door. "Andy?"

* * *

><p>At the knock, she flew off the toilet, standing abruptly. "Yeah," she called shakily.<p>

"Are you alright?"

She bit her lip and nodded, forgetting that he couldn't see her.

"Andy?"

"I'm okay. I'll be out in a second." She turned on the tap and ran her fingers under the cool water, pressed them under her dry eyes, against her cheeks, ran them over her forehead, behind her ears, down her neck. _That_ felt better. She patted her face dry with the hand towel and hung it back on the rod. She took two deep breaths and then turned to the door, flipped the lock and pulled it open. Sam stood there, right outside the door, his arm up, hand braced against the frame in front of her. In fact, he stood so close that if she tried to leave, she'd have to push past him. But he didn't move. He reached up and put a hand under her chin and tilted her face up.

"Are you alright?" he repeated.

She turned her face out of his hand and nodded. "I'm fine." She ducked under his arm and slid past him, padding down the hall in her socks.

As Sam walked into the kitchen behind Andy, Sarah was coming in the back door. She flashed her dimples at them both, noticing immediately that the return smiles and greetings she got were not as genuine as she remembered. Wondering what she'd just interrupted, she took of her jacket and sat down at the end of the table. Andy walked over to the fridge and pulled out an open bottle of wine. She grabbed a glass from the cupboard and poured herself a healthy portion and then brought it to the table, along with the bottle.

"What's for dinner?" Sarah asked, trying to lighten the mood. Sam slid the cartons of food over to her and she looked inside, started spooning chicken and fried rice onto her plate. She took a few bites, her eyes moving rapidly between the two of them. Andy was looking down at the table, raising her eyes only to her wine glass when she took a sip. Sam had his eyes on Andy. His body was completely still, his hands motionless as they rested on the table. There was an uncomfortable pressure in the room, and suddenly Sarah wished she were anywhere but there. After a few minutes of trying to make stilted conversation with them, her phone rang, causing everyone to jump a little in their seats.

Gratefully, she picked it up and hearing Cooper's voice on the other end, she stood up and left the room with her plate, seeking the privacy and relief of the guest room.

They were sitting at the table; neither one of them had eaten more than a single bite. Andy's wine glass had been filled and emptied and refilled and she was working on emptying it again as she picked at her food. She looked like she was just putting in her time; sitting there for some predetermined allotment until she could bolt. Though he knew his sister wouldn't be gone long, he finally found he couldn't take it anymore.

"Just ask me."

"What?" Her eyes flicked to his and down again.

"I know you've got something you want to say, so just ask me."

"I can't." Her voice was stone cold, controlled.

"Why not?"

"Because I've been doing my best to not look like the girlfriend from hell and I think with your sister hating me and the race in two days I have enough strikes against me at this point." Her voice was shaky at first, but started gaining strength by the end of the statement.

"McNally…" He reached across and grabbed her hand and she snatched it away.

"Just don't, okay?"

"Don't what?" He asked sharply. He was already starting to lose his patience, despite his best efforts.

"Don't just say my name like that, like everything is okay."

He raised his eyebrows at her. "Well, how am I supposed to know what's wrong unless you tell me?"

She sat there for a moment; she pulled her elbows into her sides so only her fingertips rested on the surface of the table top.

"Andy, for Christ's sake," he said loudly. "Just say it. Just tell me."

"You lied." Her eyes came up, and they were unwavering, burning into him with a strange intensity.

"What?"

"You lied to me."

"When?"

"After we left the restaurant, I asked you what she said to you, and you said 'nothing'."

"I said 'nothing important'. Wait, you were listening?" He gave a short laugh. "Of course you were."

"You don't think it's important that she basically said she'd take you back? That she wished she hadn't left?" She asked, trying to gauge his reaction.

"That's not what she said," he replied carefully.

"She said she felt like she made a mistake."

"Yeah, too bad for her." He exhaled loudly and leaned over, placing his elbows on the table as he looked at her. "I think it worked out pretty well." She met his eyes and she knew he was trying to slow her down, but he'd already opened the door.

"I watched you," she said, watching him now. "Whatever the two of you had between you, it's still there." Sam shook his head, pressing his lips together in irritation. "I saw it. I mean if she hadn't left, do you think you'd still be with her?"

"Andy, she left." He held out his hands and shrugged. "That's all there is to it."

"It's really not," she said seriously. "I mean, if you chose me because we were both standing right in front of you, it would be one thing. But she wasn't here. She wasn't even returning your calls. How do we know that we're not together because I was the only one left?" The way she said it, it seemed like it was the first time this thought had occurred to her; her voice was a little panicked, a little shaky.

"Andy…" he said, his heart breaking a little for her at the expression on her face.

"I mean, why _would_ you end the longest relationship you've had in years to be with me? It's ridiculous. She's perfect. She's definitely not a paranoid lunatic." Her hands went up, pulled her hair back and he grabbed her wrist, stopping her.

Sam went still for a moment and then raised his eyes to hers. "How did you know that Kate was the longest relationship I've had in years?" he asked, his voice dangerously quiet. She shook him off, and finished putting her hair up. She gave him an unhappy smile, finally standing up and walking out of the room.

"That's all you have to say to that question?" she asked, facing away from him, hands on her hips.

"How did you know?" he repeated loudly.

She turned around quickly. "Well, it definitely wasn't because you told me. You never tell me anything."

"All you have to do is ask!"

"I shouldn't have to ask," she answered. "I had to practically _beg_ you to tell me about Sarah and you never told me anything about when you were with Kate, even when I _did _ask."

"You were there. You know how things were between us."

"Sam, you never mention her. You've never even talked about how you broke up."

"Why would I? Why would you want to know?"

"She was important to you. Why _wouldn't_ I want to know?"

He smirked. "Yeah, well you never talk to me about Callaghan, either."

"I kind of got the impression that you didn't want to hear about us, but if you're interested, I can definitely fill you in," she said, crossing her arms.

"I _don't_ want to hear about him. That's the point. I don't _care_," he said.

"Well, I do."

He paused for a second, crossing his arms over his chest and then walked up, stood not more than a foot away. "Think about this really carefully, Andy. Because I guarantee almost anything I tell you is only going to make things worse," he said quietly.

She just looked at him, waiting for him to give her something, anything, and finally she shook her head with a bitter smile and turned away.

"What about the picture, Andy?" he asked. "As long as we're getting it all out there, we might as well talk about that." She slowly turned back to face him.

"What picture?" For a long moment, he believed her. He hadn't known for sure that she'd found it; he'd just had a hunch. Her face was hard, unflinching; she never blinked. But her index and middle fingers twitched, tapped against her hip, and he knew. At another time, he might be proud, but now he was mad. First, because she tried to lie to him, and second, because he almost fell for it.

"You really _are_ getting good, aren't you?" Sam asked quietly.

She shrugged and lifted her eyebrows. "I learned from the best, right?" They stared at each other for another few seconds before she reached back and pulled it out of her pocket, unfolding it for him. "Here, just take it." Andy held it out to him and he grabbed it, not even glancing at it before crunching it in his fist and tossing it in the direction of the waste basket.

"I don't want it. I want you to talk to me about it."

"I tried to talk to you about it last night."

"Fine. I'm sorry. I should have paid attention."

She rolled her eyes and walked back to the kitchen. He followed her in there, and she whirled on him, spinning back so fast her ponytail whipped at his face. "If you had any idea what's been going through my mind since I found that…" She paused and then narrowed her eyes at him. "Wait. How did you even know I had it? When did you figure it out?"

He pressed his lips together and gestured towards the bedroom where Sarah was hiding. "Couple days ago."

"So, you didn't invite her because you wanted her to meet me," she said slowly. She nodded, inhaling, running it through her mind quickly. "You invited her to what, even the score between me and Kate? You really expected your sister to make this whole thing better? Have you _met_ your sister?" she asked narrowing her eyes.

"Fine, it was a bad idea," he relented.

"No, it was a horrible idea." She exhaled. "And you left me twisting in the wind, trying to figure out what it meant."

"It didn't mean anything. It was a picture."

"Not the picture. The fact that you brought her to meet your family after only a few months, but you and I were…you and I were _close_ and you'd hardly said two words about them."

He held out his hands, questioningly. "You think I should have asked _you_?" he asked with a laugh. "At the time, it didn't seem like a good idea to bring both my girlfriend and my other female friend on the same trip. I know your _boyfriend_ probably wouldn't have enjoyed it."

"That's not what I mean, and you_ know_ it," she said loudly, pointing at him.

"What do you want me to say, Andy? I could tell you that it was a fluke. It was. She wasn't supposed to be there that weekend. I could tell you that things weren't serious, but I'd be lying."

"You loved her."

"I love you," he said, articulating each word so that she would hear him. But she just ignored it.

"Do you miss her? Is that why you kept the picture?" She knew she was sounding irrational, desperate even, but she couldn't control it anymore.

"I didn't keep it."

"Really? Because I found it hidden in your drawer." Andy had a weird smile on her face. "Why would you save it unless you missed her?"

"I didn't save it. I forgot I even _had_ it."

"_I_ was trying to forget about it. Every day I've tried to forget about it, but something always brought it back. Your sister, for one."

"Sarah's full of shit!" His arm swung out towards the bedroom, where he knew she was hiding. "I told you not to listen to her."

"And then running into Kate today…" She took a deep breath through her nose and shook her head slowly. "You never answered me. Do you miss her?"

"No."

"I don't believe it." They stood there and looked at each other for a few seconds before Andy turned away.

"Where are you going?" he asked as she walked towards the door.

"I need to get out of here." She bent and grabbed her shoes off the floor. He snatched them away from her. Somewhere behind them, a door opened. "It's just…It's too much right now. I just need to get out." She saw Sarah come around the corner, eyes wide with concern. "Perfect!" Andy threw her hands up. Sarah ducked back out again, but Andy was embarrassed; Sam didn't even notice.

"Get out of what?" He was motionless, looking at her with a strange expression on his face, like he was afraid to hear what she was going to say. "Get out of this relationship?"

"That's not what I meant," she said, grabbing one of her shoes. She seized the second one out of Sam's hand when she realized he'd gone stone still in front of her, his face tense.

"Then what did you mean?" he asked.

"I need to get out of this house. I'm turning into this basket case and I don't like it, and I need to get out."

"I think you should stay so we can talk about this."

"I think I've said enough, don't you?" she said with a bitter laugh. "And I need to leave before one of us says something we can't take back." She took a deep breath and pulled her bottom lip through her teeth and turned her eyes to his. "Look," she said slowly. "Maybe we were wrong to just jump headfirst into this. Maybe we need to take a few steps back."

"Andy," he said quietly, almost cautiously, feeling his heart beat a little more frantically. "A few steps back is where we were before. I can't go back to being just friends with you. Not after everything we went through to get here. And I know that's not what you want."

"It's not. But I can't feel like this anymore and I don't know how to make it go away. I've been trying." Andy said, her face serious, but strangely calm. She was holding it together. "Look, I just need some time. You know, to process things."

"What's there to process? Either you want to be with me, or you don't," he said, keeping his eyes on her. She didn't say anything, just put her hands on her hips and looked at the floor, and his eyebrows went up. "Andy?" She raised her eyes to his. "Do you want…"

"Don't ask me that right now," she interrupted. She shook her head quickly. "Don't."

"Why not?" he asked, his voice hard, grating.

"Because I'm mad and upset and I might say something I don't mean." His mouth opened, but no sound came out and she shook her head. And then her voice got quiet and he heard a tremor. "I am just so scared that one day you'll run into her like you did today and realize that you made the wrong choice."

"That's not going to happen," Sam said finding his voice again, stepping up to her, and placing his hands on her arms. She shook him off and stepped back.

"You don't _know_ that," she said, her voice suddenly hollow.

He moved close again and reached out, held her face in his hands. "Yes," he said, slowly. "I do."

"Fine. _I_ don't know it," she said, eyes hard as they met his. He stared at her and then after a moment, he let go of her; stepped back.

She kept her eyes on him as she fumbled behind her back at the door knob. She finally got it unlocked, turned it and pulled the door open. As she turned, his foot moved forward, propelling him towards her. "Andy, wait." He reached out to stop her, to put his hand on her shoulder. But she was gone. She took two steps and was off the porch, disappearing into the night, shoes in hand.

Sarah walked into the kitchen, saw her brother standing in the doorway, staring out into the darkness. He turned to look at her, a startled expression on his face.

"What the fuck just happened here?" he asked, holding his hands out, palms up.

She shook her head and pointed her thumb towards the door. "Aren't you going to go after her?"

He shook his head slowly. "Not right now."

She licked her lips nervously, eyes flicking over to the door. "Sam, I uh… I think I need to tell you something."

He waved her off. "Not now."

"Yeah, you're really going to want to hear this."

"Sarah," he said, turning to her. "No." His eyes were a little bright, maybe even a little wet and she nodded, raising a hand to his shoulder, but he turned around, and it glanced off.

"Okay then. Do you want me to stay?" He shook his head. "Okay." She picked her jacket up off the back of the chair and shrugged into it. She watched him as he pulled out his chair at the table and sank down into it and then she walked out the door, closing it behind her.

* * *

><p>Somewhere along the way, Andy must have stopped to put her shoes on, because when Sarah found her, she was booking it down the sidewalk at top speed. She drove slowly next to her as she ran. She rolled down the window and called to her, but Andy just ran up the curb and cut through someone's yard, trying to avoid her. Sarah rolled her eyes and hit the gas, turning the corner, catching her on the cross street. She pulled the car to a halt right in front of her and leaned over and pushed the door open.<p>

"What do _you_ want?" Andy asked.

"I fully intend on following you the entire way, so you might as well just get in." Andy stared at her and for a second, Sarah wondered if she actually even saw her. She looked haunted; her eyes were wide and wild, her breath coming quick and hard. But after a moment, she stepped closer, bent down and climbed inside.

"I don't want to go back," she said, her voice thick with unspilled tears.

"I don't blame you." Sarah pulled the car back onto the road and they drove. Inside the car, it was dark, lit only by the red and blue lights on the dash and Sarah glanced over at her, starting to get a little worried. "Is there somewhere you want to go?"

"I need to change," Andy said woodenly, staring out the window. Sarah looked down at her. She was dressed in jeans and a beautiful kelly green top, with a long thin black sweater over the top. But she'd been running, and she looked uncomfortable. "I need to go home." Sarah nodded and turned the car around.

* * *

><p>She ran the water, letting it get cold before she filled a glass and carried it back to the bedroom. Andy had ripped the sweater off, flung it into the basket. The same went for the green shirt. The jeans were in a pile where she'd dropped them. She stood there, pulling on a pair of capris made out of some black shiny fabric and was pulling on a thin T-shirt. She sat down on the bed and put on a pair of socks and then dug under the bed, extracting a pair of battered running shoes.<p>

"Listen, Andy," Sarah started. "I'm really sorry for everything I said."

As she loosened the laces and slipped them onto her feet she looked at Sarah, unsmiling. "You're not here because I want to talk. You're here because I need a ride."

Sarah nodded. "Yeah. Okay."

Andy nodded back. "Good." She crossed the laces, tying them and then looked up. "Unless you want to wait in the car, you're going to need a blanket."

* * *

><p>And so Sarah found herself sitting on a folded blanket on a set of metal bleachers, watching Andy run around a track lit only by the lights surrounding the parking lot. It was the last Friday in March and it was still cold at night and she tucked the end of the blanket over her legs and tucked her hands underneath, keeping everything warm. She glanced at the school behind them, checking for lights in the windows, flashlights from security or anyone wondering what two women were doing at a high school in the middle of the night. But there was only darkness in the building.<p>

She'd been counting laps. She knew four laps was a mile, and Andy had just run her seventh lap. She was wearing a jacket with reflective strips running across the shoulders and so every time she turned the corner on Sarah's right, it flashed a little in the light. Her pace had slowed, but she didn't look like she had any intention of quitting. For a second, she wondered if she should stop her. Sam had told her she was coming off an injury; that she was supposed to take it easy until Sunday. But she couldn't bring herself to do it. If this was what it would take for her to be able to sleep, to get it out of her system, she'd let her run until dawn if she had to.

Andy'd lost count. She didn't have her iPod; she didn't have her tracking chip. And she'd lost count somewhere after the first mile. But she wasn't really thinking about it anyway. She was trying not to think at all. That was the point. That was what running was good for. Clearing. Just one foot in front of the other. Breathe in for two, out for one. Her muscles had opened up nicely after the third lap and she wanted to keep going. Her ankle was holding up well, and except for the fact that she was running in old shoes, she felt good, physically.

But after a few more laps, she couldn't keep it together any longer, and she started thinking back to the words they'd both said, to the look on his face when she'd told him she wanted time. When she hadn't answered his question. Utter devastation.

She slowed to a jog, her stride shortening, then dropped down to a walk, and finally stopped completely, breathing hard, bending over, her hands braced on her knees. And then the tears came.

Sarah stood up, wrapped the blanket around herself and climbed down off the bleachers. She walked around the guard rails and across the center of the track to the other side where Andy had sunk to the cold ground. She was sitting in the second lane, arms wrapped around her knees which were pulled to her chest; her legs were crossed at the ankle. Her cheek was resting on her knee, face turned away from Sarah and in that moment, she looked very small and very young and Sarah sank down beside her and put her arms around her.

* * *

><p>An hour later, Sarah returned to Sam's. She'd sat at on the track with Andy for nearly twenty minutes, just letting her sob it out, whispering to her, trying to calm her down, and finally they both got up and went back to the car. She'd walked her up to her apartment, and gotten her into bed, and then with nothing more she could do for her, walked out the door and down the stairs to her car.<p>

She stepped into the kitchen and saw Sam had barely moved since she'd left. The scotch bottle had moved though and had emptied considerably. His head was pillowed on his arms and his eyes were shut. She sat down in a chair next to him and put her hand on his head, smoothing his hair. His eyes blinked open, and for a second he didn't move. In that instant, he looked like he had no idea where he was. And then he sat up.

"What time is it?" he asked hoarsely.

"Surprisingly early." She picked up his glass and tossed back the rest of the liquor. "How drunk are you? It's only been a couple of hours and you're not exactly a cheap date."

"Drunk enough," he said with a wry smile. And then the smile dropped from his face. "Is she okay?" he asked, raising his eyes to hers.

Sarah nodded. "She'll be fine. I think she just needs to sleep for like ten hours."

He nodded. "Good." He reached for the bottle and she slid it out of his reach.

"I think you should probably sleep too."

"I _was_ sleeping. Now I'm not."

She squinted at him, considering it, and then gave in, putting a tiny splash into his glass. Then she put the top on the bottle and got up to stash it in a cabinet. He swallowed it down and held the glass out to her. She took it and smiling at him, ran it under the faucet. She rinsed it out and filled it with water and gave it back to him.

Then she sat down with him again and met his eyes.

"Look, Sam, this is kind of my fault."

"No, it's not. I shouldn't have asked you to come."

"No, I mean, really. I, ah… I kind of did something." She was nervous; her hands were even a little unsteady.

"What did you do?" he asked as he took a drink from the glass.

"I uh…I might have said some stuff to Andy."

"Yeah?" He wasn't paying attention yet and she took a deep breath.

"I said some stuff to her about Kate." He froze, and then put the glass on the table and turned to look at her.

"What did you say?" he asked, his voice ice cold.

"Uh, well…"

"Spit it out, Sarah."

"Something about why you would have broken up with Kate for Andy." He put his head in his hands. "And um, maybe something about you and Andy sleeping together before you broke up with Kate."

"But we didn't." He said, looking at her. "I told you what happened."

"Yeah. I said it anyway," she said, ashamed.

He stood up and paced to entrance and back and then looked at her, shaking his head in anger. "Why would you do that?" he yelled.

"Look, if I'd known that you two were having problems, I wouldn't have said anything." He gave her a look. "Okay, maybe I would've. But I would have toned it down a little, or…or gone in a different direction, or something." She watched him as he ran both his hands through his hair, messing it up. "Listen. I stopped when I realized, okay?"

"When you realized what?"

"That she's _it_ for you. I mean, she_ is_, right?" He leaned back against the counter and took a deep breath, crossing his arms. And then his eyes met hers and she felt her heart shatter into a million pieces. "Sam," she said, stepping up to him. "I'm sorry."

He laughed bitterly and ran a hand over his face, then over the back of his neck. "Yeah, well she was right. I should have known better than to get you up here and think you'd fix things."

"I mean it. I'm sorry, okay?" Her voice sounded like it was about to break but he didn't care.

"God, Sarah, why do you _do_ this?" he yelled.

She glared at him and stepped up. "If you want to go two rounds tonight, just say so. But don't put this all on me," she said, lowering her voice. "If you could just get over your shit and _talk _to her, this would have never happened."

He pressed his lips together and shook his head. Neither one of them said anything for a few moments and then Sam nodded to himself, making a decision. "Well, I think I'm going to drink a little more. And you should probably go."

Her eyebrows drew together and she took a step forward. "Sam."

"I mean it," he said tiredly as he turned to the cabinet. Then he looked back over his shoulder at her. "Get out." She bit her lip, then nodded, and turned and walked out the door.

* * *

><p><strong>Be kind :) Really. It took me 7 tries to get it down to this. The Half Marathon is next!<strong>


	18. Chapter 18

**Note: I've never been to Toronto and so I've never seen a race in Toronto, so keep in mind that this is pure fabrication with about 10% of the details coming from the races in my city.**

**Also, I know I told several people (AGAIN) that this was the last chapter. However, it was ridiculously long, and I chopped it. There will be one more full length chapter after this one.**

**Thanks for the reviews and to Cocobean2206 and icewitch 73 for their constant attention and powers of distraction.**

**Oh, and I don't own Rookie Blue. Although I wish I did.**

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><p>Still clouded with sleep, Andy stretched her arm across the bed, reaching for the warm body that was usually lying next to her. She touched nothing but fabric and as her hand searched, she opened her eyes. In that first split second, she was confused. And then she remembered. She glanced over at the clock. 9:04 AM. Taking a deep breath, she propped herself into a sitting position, blinking against the brightness of the sun as it streamed in the window. It had been a week since she'd slept in this bed and she remembered how when she'd first bought it, she'd loved it. Now she hated it. It was in the wrong place. In the wrong building, on the wrong street. Scrubbing her hands over her tired face, she closed her eyes, kept them closed as she ran the words from the night before through her head. Though she intended it to be quick, she found herself in the same position five minutes later, still stewing. She knew that last night, things had been crazy, that <em>she'd<em> been crazy, but this morning, she was feeling the impact of every word she'd said, every accusation she'd hurled at Sam. As she became more fully awake, her head started to clear, and soon the only thought left was, _God, what did I do? _

She kicked the blankets down to the foot of the bed and pushed herself out of the middle to the edge. Andy got up and cringed. Running laps without stretching had left her stiff all the way up to her hips and she levered herself off the bed did a few squats, trying to loosen up, and hobbled to the bathroom. She brushed her teeth, and splashed some water on her face, noting that her eyes still looked a little puffy. She walked back to the bedroom quickly and dug around in the pocket of her jeans for her cell phone. There was only one missed call from Sam, left late in the night, after she'd already fallen asleep; no voicemail. Biting her lip, Andy felt the nerves swimming around in her stomach, and her finger hovered above the call button. And then it moved away.

She left the room and walked out into the kitchen.

She heard the coffee maker rumbling; she smelled it before she reached it. Though she didn't remember setting the timer, she grabbed a cup from the cupboard, pulled the carafe out and stuck her cup under the stream. It filled and she replaced the carafe and walked out of the kitchen, sipping at it cautiously and then froze.

Sarah was sitting on her red couch, her camera equipment scattered across the coffee table. And she was looking at Andy.

"What are you doing here?" Andy asked her, emotionless.

Sarah had the good grace to look ashamed and she opened her mouth and for a second nothing came out. "All my stuff was here. And Sam kicked me out." There was a pillow stacked on top of a folded quilt at the end of the couch.

Andy raised an eyebrow. "Do I have that option?"

Sarah pressed her lips together, and nodded, messy curls bouncing as her head moved. "I guess you do," she replied. "Are you going to?"

Andy looked at her sternly. "I'm seriously considering it." The coffee pot beeped and Sarah stood and walked over to pour herself a cup. She splashed a little milk into it and then went back to the couch. Andy sat down in one of her chairs and crossed her legs underneath her. She put her cell phone on the table and stared at it.

"He hasn't called?" Sarah asked quietly.

Andy's eyes went to Sarah and then back down to the table. "Once, last night. I was asleep."

"You should call him back."

She shook her head, embarrassed. "What would I even say?" Andy mumbled as she took a drink.

"I guess that depends on how you want this whole thing to end." Andy looked at her again and Sarah turned to her. "Look, I am so, so sorry about what I said to you the last couple of days."

"Yeah, I'll bet."

"No. I am." Sarah pulled her foot up under her other leg and slid closer. "Look, I like people to think that I don't have a filter, but I do. And despite the way I act, I _do_ know how to use it." She paused, collecting her thoughts. She shook her head. "Anyway, I shouldn't have said those things to you about Kate. I knew better."

"Yeah, well today must be like Christmas for you. If you didn't hate me before, last night had to have done the trick. After everything I said to him." The memory caused her stomach to clench again.

"I never hated you." Sarah leaned over, put her elbow on the arm of the couch, and took a sip of her coffee. "Let's just say that I was starting to wonder about his judgment."

"Thanks," Andy muttered, pulling her knees up to her chest. Her flannel pants and long-sleeved T-shirt were starting to feel warm and she wondered what the thermostat was set at.

"It wasn't about you. It was about Kate."

Andy raised her eyebrows in surprise. "I thought you liked Kate."

"I do. She's a great business contact. Honest, hard-working, very smart with money." She sat up straighter. "But she wasn't right for _him_."

"What do you mean?"

Sarah made a face. "Too perfect. And I mean, seriously. Enough with the cookies and the scones and the cakes. She brought so much food to my house over Christmas that I had to pawn most of it off on the neighbors."

Andy felt a small smile start at the corners of her mouth and lifted her coffee cup to hide it.

"Sam needs someone with rougher edges," Sarah said, looking at her carefully, studying her. "Like you."

"Again, thanks," Andy replied, scratching the back of her head.

"No, I mean that as a compliment. People's flaws make them interesting. They cause problems, cause passions. And he had no passion for her. There was something missing in his eyes when he looked at her. Let me guess," she said, taking a sip. "They never fought, right?"

Andy thought about it. "Only once that I know of." Her hand went to her neck as she felt it grow hot.

"What was it about?" Andy looked at her guiltily, holding her gaze for a few seconds and a small smile showed up on Sarah's face, disappearing almost as quickly as it had formed. "Then that one doesn't count. Anyway, I think at the time, he was okay with it. But I didn't think he should settle for something so…" she struggled to find the word and then suddenly she had it. "So generic."

Andy looked at her and Sarah's eyes sparkled a little at her. "It always seemed like they had a lot of chemistry."

"That's the jealousy talking. Trust me, they didn't." Sarah smiled at the corners of her mouth. "Were you ever even a little objective about their relationship?"

Andy looked down at her coffee cup, noticing that it was empty. "Probably not." She stood up and held out her hand and after a beat, Sarah handed hers over. Andy went to refill them and then brought them back and sat down next to Sarah. At her curious look, she shrugged. "That chair isn't very comfortable."

"Listen," Sarah said. "I want you to know that normally, I wouldn't be telling you anything about Sam. He's a private guy and wouldn't appreciate me talking to you about him like this, but considering the damage I've already done, I feel like I need to explain myself."

Andy shifted uncomfortably in her seat and glanced at her. "Yeah, well, I'd really like to blame this whole thing on you, but it started before you got here."

"I just," Sarah paused. "I just wanted to be sure about you." Andy looked at her and Sarah met her eyes and nodded. "And I know I didn't exactly make it easy on you."

"That's an understatement," Andy said with a short laugh. Sarah smiled with her and then Andy remembered why they were both sitting there and her expression sobered up. "Just so you know, we're not friends," she clarified. "I mean, we're sitting here talking, but we're not friends."

"Of course not," Sarah said with a nod.

"So," Andy said, clearly feeling very uncomfortable. "How was he? When you saw him last night?"

Sarah looked at her and pressed her lips together, and again Andy saw a certain amount of resemblance in the expression. "He's mad. Mostly at me. And probably at himself. Probably at you too." She took a drink. "It's easier for him to be mad."

Andy nodded.

"He'll come around."

"I'm still not really sure he should," Andy said honestly. "Everything I said… It was awful. _We_ were awful to each other."

Sarah shrugged. "So what?" she said, waving her hand. "Couples fight. You wouldn't be able to hurt each other if you didn't care so much."

Andy looked at her. "That's really messed up."

"It's true though."

"Do you and Cooper fight?"

Sarah smirked. "Cooper and I are an anomaly."

"What do you mean?"

She crossed her legs, tucking her feet underneath her. "I mean that I fight; Cooper doesn't."

"How does that work?"

Sarah looked at her. "You know about me, right? Sam told you?" Andy nodded. "And it's obvious that I'm not really very…accepting of people right away." She looked down at her cup, and her thumb stroked over the edge slowly. "When Cooper and I first met, it wasn't exactly love at first sight. At least not for me. He and I are almost nothing alike. But we're both incredibly stubborn, and he just kept trying. Not in a creepy stalker way, but he was consistent. And so I tested him. I pushed his buttons and pushed him away and if he hadn't been the most patient man I've ever met, we probably wouldn't be together. But he never gave up." She her face softened momentarily. "He really is the most amazing guy." She looked at Andy and then blinked, remembering the question. "Anyway. I yell. He just kind of waits until I tire myself out and then steps in and talks me down. It's a weird situation. And it's a little infuriating and a little humiliating," she said with a short laugh. "But it works for us."

They both sat there quietly for a few moments lost in their own thoughts. Finally Andy spoke, her eyes down.

"I really screwed this up, didn't I?"

Sarah looked over at her, silent until Andy looked up at her and then slowly started shaking her head. "It's not over."

Andy held her gaze for a long moment and then turned away. She finished her second cup and looked over at the coffee table. Sarah had the entire thing covered with papers, a thick notebook softened with age, memory cards, and camera equipment; and in the center, near the edge of the table sat her laptop.

"You've been up a while," Andy murmured, peering closer.

"Yeah, I didn't sleep very well last night. No surprise."

There were dozens of thumbnails loaded onto the screen and Sarah turned it towards her so Andy could see it better. The ones she was currently working on were of the run they'd done the day before. There were loads of pictures of her and Sam running and stretching and standing together. Andy squinted as she tried to see one. It was a close up of her as she stretched her hamstrings, and it surprised her, because she didn't remember Sarah getting that close.

"I've got a good zoom," she said, holding up a lens before Andy could ask her about it. "You can look through them. The cheese factor is pretty high, but I can only work with what you give me," Sarah said with a grin. Smiling back at her, Andy reached out and started scrolling through the pictures, finally stopping at one. They'd been walking back to the car afterwards, and once they'd gotten there, they'd had to wait for Sarah, but it was because of this picture. Andy double-clicked on it and it blew up. Sam had reached down and taken her hand in his and they'd walked slowly back to the car. There were a few snaps; one had their bodies and faces turned toward each other. The next was just a close up of their hands swinging between them.

"That's one of the better ones," Sarah said. "Of course, I like it in black and white." She leaned over and hit a few keys and the color went away. She was right; in black and white it was startling.

"You really are everything he said you were," Andy murmured, impressed.

"Yeah, well that could mean anything," Sarah said with a laugh. Andy smirked. Sarah pulled the laptop back towards herself.

"This one's my favorite," she said, turning it back to Andy after pulling the photo up full screen. Andy's breath caught in her throat. They'd just finished the run and she'd been feeling exhilarated, incredibly alive. Sitting there now, she couldn't remember the exact words, but she remembered that what he'd said had been funny and a little dirty and she remembered laughing. But Sarah had captured the way his entire body leaned into hers, the way he smiled as he bent to whisper in her ear while his hand cupped the back of her head, cold fingertips pressing against the nape of her neck. Andy's fingers were wrapped possessively around his wrist and she could remember the feeling of lightness that had been running through her at the touch of his lips to her ear and the strength of the sun on her face and she'd smiled; a real smile, teeth flashing. "This is not a picture of someone who has doubts about her relationship," Sarah said, looking at her. Andy's eyes flicked over to hers and held her gaze a moment and then moved back to the laptop.

Sarah reached out and hit a key and another photo showed up. Andy was crouched down, picking up their jackets and keys and Sam was looking down at her, his hands in his pockets. Sarah hit one more key and the picture zoomed in. She moved it around until it was centered on Sam's face. "Before this trip, I couldn't tell you the last time I saw him look like this," she said quietly. His face was lit up, a wide grin in place, and though his eyes were pointed down, Andy knew exactly what they looked like, dark and warm, strong emotion shining out of them. She looked at Andy. "Don't get me wrong. The guy knows how to have a good time, but he's always spent a lot of time up here," she tapped her temple. "When he brought Kate, they talked and laughed, but he was always here." Again, her finger went to her head. "But every time I've seen you together, and especially after this run," her finger moved across the screen, never touching. "It's like you pull him out. And you don't even try. In fact," she said. "You don't even seem to know you're doing it." She looked at Andy with a sort of stifled wonder. "It may not seem like it right now, and he's not a big talker so he may not let you know, but believe me when I tell you, he is more himself with you than with anyone." She smiled at her. "He's not looking for anything else."

Andy laughed uncomfortably and blinked back the tears that were suddenly forming. "This nice side of you is really starting to freak me out," she said as she stared at the screen for another few seconds.

Sarah grinned. "Me too."

Andy looked at her. "Can I get copies of these?"

Sarah nodded. "No problem. Email or print?"

"Both."

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><p>Andy went in to the bathroom and took a quick shower, leaving her hair wet as she dressed quickly. Sarah had promised to run her down to the store so she could pick up her packet and then she had to go to Sam's. She did a quick job of drying off and pulled on her jeans from the night before and grabbed a loose fitting white top out of her dresser and tugged it over her head. On went the socks and she wrapped her watch around her wrist. She pulled a hair binder over her hand and patted her pockets, making sure she had her wallet and her cell phone. After grabbing the registration confirmation sheet off her dresser, she shoved that in too. She flipped off the light and walked out to meet Sarah who had managed to get all her stuff packed away and had it sitting by the door while she poured the last of the coffee into one of Andy's mugs.<p>

"You're going back?" Andy asked as she stepped into her shoes.

Sarah shrugged. "Might as well. Your couch is nice to sit on, but I think I'd rather sleep in the guest room tonight."

"You think he'll let you?"

Sarah rolled her eyes. "This isn't the first time he's kicked me out of his house. And it probably won't be the last. It'll be fine."

Andy's eyebrows drew together as she looked at her in curiosity. "Why did he kick you out the last time?"

"We had a tiny screaming match over a hockey game."

"Must have been some argument."

"It was even stupider than you can possibly imagine." Sarah said as she slung her camera case and laptop bag over opposite shoulders.

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><p>As Sarah pulled up behind Sam's truck, the knotting in Andy's stomach increased exponentially. She needed to be here to get her stuff for the race. Her shoes, her clothing, her iPod. A part of her had been hoping that he'd be gone, that she could put off this first encounter just a little bit longer. She still had no idea what she was going to say to him, what she even <em>wanted<em> to say to him. But Sarah wasn't waiting and Andy scrambled out of the car to catch up with her. The day was warm, but nerves left Andy's hands clammy and as she stood on the porch waiting for Sarah to unlock the door, she shoved them in the pockets of her jeans. Finally, the door swung open and they walked in. All the lights were off. In fact, the house seemed very empty. Andy closed the door quietly behind her and they both moved into the middle of the kitchen. A partially empty bottle sat on the table next to the remains of their uneaten dinner and Andy felt a tiny a slight tremor run through her as she flashed back to the night before.

Her duffel still sat under the window and gratefully she bent down and opened it, checking to see if there was anything she still needed to collect. Her shoes were sitting next to the door, and she tossed them in. She was still missing her training log and some clothing for the race. She paused a moment and then took a deep breath, glancing at Sarah. Sarah was pouring herself a bowl of cereal and she jerked her head back towards the bedroom.

"Just go," she hissed. As Andy walked into the living room, she felt a prickling on the back of her neck; the feeling people get when they realize they're not alone. She suddenly knew the house wasn't nearly as empty as it had felt when she first entered. When she reached the bedroom she put her hand on the door knob and turned it slowly. After pushing it open, she stepped in, trying to avoid letting in much light. Then she turned around, closing it so that it was open only a crack and spun again slowly. Sam was stretched out on his stomach, arms curled around his pillow. The sheets and blankets were tangled around his waist and his face was turned away from her.

Her instincts were telling her to move closer, to pull back the blankets and slide in next to him. But she didn't. Instead she walked up and pulled her iPod off the bedside table, along with her training log. Then she went over to the dresser and opened the drawer and started scooping out clothes. She wasn't exactly sure what she was going to need and she didn't want him to catch her in there, so she just took everything she could lay her hands on. Then she pushed the drawer shut and turned around, arms full. She looked at him again and froze. During her excavation, he'd flipped over onto his side, tucked an arm under his head and was facing her, still asleep.

Really, it wouldn't have taken much more than a suggestion for her to walk over, sit down on the mattress and pull her legs up, curling against him. Even though she didn't yet have the words, the pull she felt was almost enough. She bit her lip, feeling like a coward and tiptoed to the door, closing it with a quiet _snick_. Then she walked quickly down the hallway and back to the kitchen. Sarah had managed to put the table into some sort of order while she was gone and looked up from it as Andy walked in and bent to put everything into her bag.

"Moving out?" she asked with a quirked eyebrow.

"I don't live here," Andy said. "And I needed most of this stuff."

"Okay." She took a bite.

"I did," Andy said as she shoved the arm load into her bag. Then she looked over at Sarah again. "You know I need a ride back, right?"

"I could just sit here. You'll have to talk to him eventually. Might as well be today."

"Today, I don't know what to say to him."

"You think it'll be any easier tomorrow?"

"Probably not, but I'm not ready yet." Sarah continued to look at her for a few seconds and then nodded. She reached into her purse and pulled out her keys. She unclipped the car keys and tossed them to Andy.

"I don't have anywhere I need to be today. Don't hit anything." Andy raised her eyebrows in surprise, but put the bag over her shoulder and walked to the door. Then she paused and turned back.

"Make sure he runs tomorrow. He might not want to, but he really should."

Sarah nodded. "I can do that."

* * *

><p>Sam opened his eyes. His mouth was dry. As he flipped over onto his back, the movement caused pain to explode behind his eyes. He closed them again and put his head back down on the pillow. He thought about going back to sleep, but the light was coming in his window and he opened one eye and looked at the clock. Almost noon.<p>

"Shit," he mumbled as he slowly pushed himself into a sitting position. And then he paused. His room smelled…good. Like some deep purple, berry, something. It smelled like Andy's shampoo. He stood up quickly and felt a tidal wave of nausea wash over him. "Oh, God," he said, standing still for a long moment until his stomach and head were once again working together. Walking carefully, he bent down and picked up a pair of sweatpants out of the laundry basket and pulled them on. And then he froze when he heard a noise. He listened for another second and then heard it again. His heart picked up and he straightened, walking quickly to the door, and then down the hall. His face fell a little as he saw his sister putting dishes into a sink full of soapy water.

"I thought you left," he muttered as he squinted and held a hand in front of his eyes, blocking the light coming through the windows. Sam leaned over the sink and snapped down the blinds; then he walked to the other window and did the same thing. He moved to the cupboard and pulled out a glass. Pulling the faucet away from her, he turned the tap to cold, holding his fingers under the stream; waiting until the temperature changed. He filled the glass. Sarah moved to her purse and snagged a bottle of aspirin and handed it to him.

"How's that hangover?"

He gave her the finger and popped the top off with the other hand. "Where'd you stay?"

"I found a place," she said, turning back to the sink. "Feel like breakfast?" She looked at the clock. "Or lunch, I guess?"

Sam shook out two pills and put them into his mouth, washing them down with the rest of the water. "Feel like going back to bed."

"You've got to pick up your packet and get ready for tomorrow. Here." She refilled his water glass. "Start hydrating. You look awful."

"If you're trying to get on my good side again, you're doing it wrong." He narrowed his eyes at her as he sat down slowly at the table. "I don't really feellike running right now."

"Yeah, well I didn't come all the way here to watch you sit on your ass for two days."

He looked at her with an irritated expression on his face. "The only reason I'm not screaming at you right now, is because I'm pretty sure my head would explode."

"I apologized. In fact, I apologized over and over again," she said, thinking of both him and Andy.

"Yeah, well that doesn't change the fact that she's not here, does it?"

Sarah took a deep breath and set the box of cereal in front of him along with a bowl, a spoon and the jug of milk.

"Eat something."

He looked at it, at the milk sloshing around in the jug and felt his stomach turn. "Not a chance," he said, moving the cereal in front of it. He looked over his shoulder. "Have you seen my phone?"

Sarah shook her head. "You had it last night."

"Give me yours."

"She said she wants time. It's only been like 15 hours."

"Sarah," he said, his tone carrying a certain degree of warning.

"She said she's not ready to talk to you yet."

He turned in his chair and looked at her. "You talked to her this morning?"

Sarah nodded as she turned back to the sink.

"When?"

"Uh, the last time was maybe twenty minutes ago?" She glanced at the clock. "Maybe more like thirty."

"Was she here?" Sarah glanced at him but didn't say anything. "Why didn't you wake me up?"

"She said she's not ready," Sarah repeated.

"Suddenly you're best friends?"

"We talked. I was nice. Get over it." She bent down, sniffed him then pulled back quickly. "God, I think you're sweating pure scotch. You need a shower."

"Is she feeling better?"

Sarah's eyes moved to his. "She seemed better. Calm."

"How else did she seem?"

Sarah took a deep breath. "I don't think she'd want me to talk to you about it."

Sam rolled his eyes. "Give me a break."

"I _will_ tell you this," Sarah said. "I don't think I've ever seen two people more afraid of losing something in my entire life." Sam watched her as she pulled the plug on the drain and walked out of the room. "Please shower."

* * *

><p>Sam got out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist and left wet footprints on the floor as he walked across to the bedroom. He used the towel, rubbed it over his head and then scrubbed his skin dry and put on a pair of boxer briefs and dragged on a pair of jeans. He opened the top drawer to the dresser and reached in. Something was weird. He looked inside. The drawer was maybe half as full as it usually was and he picked through everything, hands moving faster as he realized that all of Andy's clothing was gone. His eyes went to the top of the dresser. Her jewelry was gone. He tried to remember if it had been there the day before, but couldn't. He grabbed a long-sleeved T-shirt and pulled it over his head angrily as he walked back out to the living room.<p>

"Did she have a bag with her?" he asked as he walked in, tugging the shirt down over his stomach.

Sarah shrugged. She was sitting on the couch paging through a book, her legs stretched out on the cushions. "She had her bag from work."

"Damnit."

"What?"

He just shook his head and took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. But he couldn't.

"How do you do it? I mean, seriously. You're here three days and you've managed to chase her out of my house. Do you have any idea how long it took to get her here?"

She looked at him, unamused. "There's something I've been wanting to say to you since last night, and I thought I'd wait until you felt a little better, but if you push me, I might just have to say it now."

He snorted. "You've never held back before."

"Fine." She stood up and walked over to him, squared off with her hands on her hips. "Okay, I know that you two are in love and doing it like bunnies, but you're _still_ her teacher. Whether you want to admit it or not, she learns from you. She's used to following your orders, and listening to your advice and she's going to take her cues from you outside of work too. So if you hold things back from her, she's going to do the same thing. Why should she talk about the things that are bothering her, when you clearly don't."

He gave a short laugh, a slight look of shock on his face.

"What?" she asked, her voice short.

"You're a hypocrite," he said with an unhappy smile on is face. "You're the most closed off person I know."

"Not to the people that matter. Not to you or Cooper." He crossed his arms over his chest as she continued. "I know you think you're this super mysterious, deep under cover guy who has to keep everything a secret, but newsflash. When you're here, you don't have to be that guy. If you can't learn how to share yourself with her, you'll lose her." She shrugged with a sarcastic smile and after he stared at her for a moment she said, "That's all I've got," and walked back to the couch and plopped herself down. She shot him one last dirty look as she opened her book.

He watched her for a second and then turned around and walked into the kitchen and put on his shoes. After putting on his jacket, he grabbed his keys off the counter and walked out the door.

* * *

><p>By the time Sam returned home, his mood had gone from bad to worse. Despite Sarah's advice, he'd swung by Andy's but she either hadn't been home or had peeked out the window and seen his truck and simply wasn't answering the door. After that, he'd gone into the store to pick up his packet, and returned to find that he'd somehow locked his keys in the truck. Without his cell phone, he'd had to go back into the store and borrow their phone and call the station. It took them forty-five minutes to show up with a kit so he could break into his own truck. While he waited, he walked over to the fast food place across the street and put some grease into his upset stomach, finally settling it.<p>

He walked in to the house and tossed his bag of race swag onto the table and started the search for his cell phone, convinced that one thing had to go right for him that day. He'd done a cursory scan of the house earlier, but now it was time to get down to business. He first went into the guest room and had Sarah call it. Sam moved from room to room but heard nothing. So the battery was dead. He went back to the kitchen and started there. Papers on the table top were stacked neatly, the toaster was pushed aside; even the top of the fridge was checked.

Then he gave the living room a thorough going over. Cushions were removed from the couch, blankets were moved. Sarah's crap was spread all over the coffee table like it usually was whenever she visited and he carefully picked through it until he was sure that the phone wasn't there. That left the bathroom and the bedroom.

He did a quick scan of the bathroom, glancing with a small amount of fear into the toilet bowl. Not there. He stepped across to the bedroom and started tearing it apart. Ten minutes later, it was completely ransacked. The blanket and top sheet were torn from the mattress; his pillows joined them in the corner. The laundry basket was upended, drawers were picked through. His hands scattered items on the tops of the dresser and the tables. Nothing.

He walked back to the guest room and knocked on the door. Popping his head in, he asked Sarah, "Are you _sure_ you haven't seen it?"

She shrugged. "I wasn't really looking for it."

"Can I see yours?" She gave him a warning look. "I'm just checking my messages." She handed it over and waited as he dialed the number and pressed pound, then finally entered his pin. One message from Shaw asking what time they needed to be there in the morning. One message from Jerry for Sarah about picking up food for the party. He pushed the buttons to repeat the message and handed it to her so she could make a list. Then she gave it back in time for him to hear the mechanical voice say, "You have no more new messages."

He checked his watch. Nineteen hours. Blowing out a frustrated breath, he tossed the phone back onto the bed, looked at her and said, "Let's go get something to eat."

* * *

><p>It took a half hour of driving around the city before they could agree on a place to eat; they finally settled on the Italian place right down the block from the running store. Sam loaded up on carbs while Sarah had a salad and a sandwich. When they returned home, Sam put the leftovers in the fridge and he sat on the couch. Sarah had folded herself into the arm chair and pulled the brown afghan over her lap. She was typing away on her laptop. He stretched his arm across to her. "Let me check again." For the fourth time that day, she passed him her phone. She'd noticed that every time, he hung up a little more frustrated, like each time he gave up a little bit more and her heart hurt for him. This time was no different. When he tossed it back to her, she tucked it into her pocket.<p>

"She'll call," she said, hoping she wasn't lying to him. He avoided her eyes.

"Yeah, well if we can't even survive one visit from you, what hope do we really have," he asked, then took a large swallow of water.

"Quit feeling sorry for yourself," she said and his eyes snapped to hers with an intensity that surprised her. She took a deep breath. "Eventually, the two of you are going to realize that this whole thing was just some huge misunderstanding. It'll be okay," she said slowly, trying to make him believe it.

He was quiet for a while, keeping his eyes on the television. And when he spoke, it was low, his voice a little rough. "We _do_ talk, you know," he said, looking at her.

She kept her eyes on the television as she talked. "Well, you can't just talk about the good stuff. You can keep the bad stuff from her as much as you want, but it'll backfire on you every time. And then you'll end up here, both of you not really knowing how the other one feels." She looked at him as he turned away from her. "Even though you're clearly so in love that it's almost sickening," she said with a grin and then stood up and stretched. "I think I'm going to lie down and read. Don't stay up too late. I'm setting my alarm for six."

* * *

><p>Andy sat at home. She'd already torn into her race packet. In fact, she'd already prepared everything for the next day. Her number was pinned to her shirt, her chip was attached to her shoe; she had a few energy bars and gels sitting on the counter waiting for her to decide which she wanted to take. She was currently putting together a race playlist for her iPod while watching a movie. Preparing for the run was the easy part of her night<p>

Sarah's email had come through almost 2 hours before and she'd taken almost half that time to look through all the pictures she'd sent. She'd stopped on the ones that had been pointed out to her earlier in the day and she had to agree. In the one where she was smiling, she remembered how she'd felt, and she hadn't felt lost, or uncertain. Everything had felt _right_. And the one where he was looking down at her… Sarah said she hadn't seen that look on his face in a long time, but Andy saw that look all the time. She saw it every time he leaned in to smell her hair, whenever she brought him coffee. She even used to see it early in the mornings before they started seeing each other, when she would stop by to pick him up for their runs. And if she let herself step back from it, if she could forget who the people in the picture were, it was easy for her to see that he was very much in love with the woman kneeling on the ground in front of him. She took a deep breath and closed the program.

So she was an idiot. That much had become clear during the course of the day. There was no doubt in her mind what she wanted. That momentary panic, the need to get out, to slow down, had been exactly that. A fleeting feeling of absolute helplessness that passed after she'd had time to calm down. The Kate stuff they could deal with. She would find a way to move past it. They could hash it out for days if they had to, but she wasn't going to give up. Now she just had to get him to forgive her.

While she was moving songs over to her playlist, in her head she was practicing what she'd say. Somehow, nothing was coming out right. Nothing seemed good enough, or sincere enough. None of the words were strong enough to tell him how she felt; how sorry she was. She looked out the window and noticed the sun had gone down. Andy checked her watch. 7:57 pm. She hadn't eaten yet.

She walked to the kitchen and pulled down some pasta and started boiling water. This kind of cooking she could do. She also took out the bread and peanut butter for breakfast in the morning. Just so she wouldn't forget and skip it. While her food was cooking, she pulled out her phone. No missed calls. Making a split second decision, she dialed his number. It went straight to voicemail and she leaned against the counter, eyes on the pot of water.

The voicemail prompt came on and beeped and Andy took a deep breath. She left him a message telling him that she wanted to talk and that he should call her back and then she clicked the phone off and set it on the counter and watched it. On the burner, the water began to boil and she poured in the pasta.

Fifteen minutes later, she sat down on her couch, the cell phone sitting on the coffee table as she ate. She finished up her playlist as she finished up her dinner and then opened up her water bottle and drank deeply, trying to get as much fluid into her as she could before the night was over. Afterwards, she grabbed the phone and laid down on the couch to wait.

* * *

><p>At 5:30 AM, the alarm on her phone went off. Andy didn't move. She didn't move because the phone was pinned between her stomach and the couch cushions and she couldn't hear it.<p>

* * *

><p>Sam woke early to Sarah banging on his door. "It's six. Get up," she yelled through it. He listened to her walk down the hall and then as she started moving stuff around in the kitchen. He didn't get up right away. He still had a tiny little pinprick headache on the right side, and he closed his eyes again, feeling sleep wash over him, numbing him until he was once more jarred into consciousness by a pounding at the door. He grumbled under his breath and finally threw back the covers.<p>

Quickly, he dressed in his race clothes, pulling a zip-up hoodie over to keep himself warm and went into the bathroom to finish up. As he started walking out, he caught a look at himself and cringed. He hadn't gotten a much sleep, despite Sarah's words the night before. The stubble shadowed his face, and made the circles under his eyes stand out. He bent to the sink and splashed some cold water on his face, blinking a few times. Then he looked again. Maybe a little better. He _felt_ a little more awake at any rate.

He entered the kitchen and Sarah glanced up from the two bowls of oatmeal she was nuking.

"How's your mood today?" His dark eyes met hers for a second and then skittered away. "That good, huh?"

He started to make excuses, to say he'd be fine, but finally just said, "I'm tired."

"Well, you look pissed."

He took a deep breath and stretched out his arm for his bowl. "Maybe a little." He took a bite and hissed as it burned his tongue. Sarah slid a glass of water in front of him and he gratefully took a drink. "You know," he said, turning to her. "I wasn't even going to do this race." He shook his head and took another bite, blowing on it first. "And now," he said after he'd swallowed, "I have to do it alone."

"Well, she'll be there. You can talk before."

"I don't feel like getting into it with her first thing today," he mumbled as he took a drink of water.

Sarah took a few bites and then held out her phone. "Do you want to check your messages again?"

He looked at it, considered it, and then shook his head. "I think I feel bad enough as it is."

"God, you're irritating when you're mopey," she said, standing up and walking to the counter to grab a banana.

He turned to look at her, raising an eyebrow. "I swear, you'll win that Miss Congeniality award any day now," he snapped.

"Sorry." She made a face. "I haven't had my coffee yet."

* * *

><p>At six, Andy rolled over and her phone was pushed out onto the floor. Forty-five minutes after that, her backup alarm went off, and she sat bolt upright, hair matted on one side of her head. She picked up the phone and without looking at it, she turned the alarm off and got up. She started walking over to the bathroom, and glanced out the window. The sun wasn't up yet, but the sky was much lighter than she expected it to be. Her eyes shot over to the clock on the stove and then she raced out of the room.<p>

The race started at 8 AM. She needed to be there by 7:30 at the absolute latest. It would take her, at the minimum, a half hour to get to the site. Which meant she now had less than fifteen minutes to get out the door. She ran to the bathroom, finished her business there and then pulled her clothes on. She brushed her teeth while she threw her bread in the toaster, spitting and rinsing in the kitchen sink. She slathered on the peanut butter and ate quickly, packing up her gym bag with things she might need. She had money safety pinned inside the zipper pocket of her capris, she had her iPod. She had a headband to keep the sweat out of her eyes.

She grabbed her phone off the coffee table and noted that she had one missed call. Not from Sam. She felt a small flutter as she realized he'd never called her back. She didn't recognize the number that _had_ called her and so she dialed her voicemail as she tied up her shoes. Sarah wondering if she'd left yet. After peeing one last time, and gathering the supplements from the counter, a spare water bottle, and basically anything she thought she could possibly need, Andy grabbed Sarah's car keys and took off.

Once in the car and halfway there, she tried Sam's number one more time as she sped to the race site. Straight to voicemail.

"Fuck!" she said loudly in frustration before she put the phone down. She held it up again, pushed the button to look at missed calls and dialed Sarah back. She answered on the first ring.

"Andy? Where are you? They're going to start in forty minutes."

"I know. I overslept. Is Sam with you?"

"He's already gone to warm up."

"Shit. Okay, I should be there soon. Keep an eye on him. I want to be able to find him when I get there."

Andy searched high and low for a parking spot and finally found one a quarter of a mile away. Someone was just pulling out otherwise she'd probably have had to park illegally. She jogged quickly to the site as a warm up, and because if she walked, there was a very real chance she wouldn't have made it. As she approached the start she stopped in her tracks. She couldn't remember the last time she'd seem so many people in one place. They were all over, waiting for the final call to get ready. She vaguely remembered that there were a few different events happening that day, but she had no idea who was involved in what. Her eyes moved rapidly over the crowd, but she couldn't see Sam. There were literally people everywhere. Even if she did manage to see him, she wasn't sure if she would make it to him in time.

The start of the half was a little like the start of the 10K had been, except bigger. The banner over the starting line was bigger, with more balloons. The crowd was massive, spectators mixing in with the runners, at least up until the corrals. The announcer's stand was set up to the side, and there was a guy yelling from a loudspeaker about starting times, and the recovery tents, porta-potties and water stops along the way. She took a deep breath, trying to calm the nerves that were running around inside her.

Someone clapped a hand on her shoulder and she turned to see Oliver, Zoe and their girls.

"Wow, I can't believe you made it," Andy said with a laugh. "Isn't it a little early for you guys?"

"C'mon McNally, this is a big day for you two. I think you'll be seeing more familiar faces towards the end." He looked around. "Where's Sammy?"

"Actually, I haven't found him yet," she admitted and started backing away.

"You didn't come together?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Not this time," she said, smiling. "But I should probably go find him and get in line, before they start without me." She waved to them and headed over to the lineup. But she only got halfway before she was stopped again and she turned to face Sarah.

"I was starting to worry about you," she said with a laugh.

"It took forever to find a parking spot," Andy said. "Good thing I had your car. Are you getting lots of shots?" Andy nodded at the camera.

"Yep, tons. My laptop is going to be very busy for the next couple of weeks. Maybe I'll put a book together or something. Who knows. But I want to get some of the two of you afterwards, if that's okay." She looked over at the road where people were slowly making their way into position. "You should probably head over."

"Where is he?" Andy asked.

"He's there. I guess you guys haven't run a qualifying race before, so they put you in a less competitive corral, towards the back."

Andy smiled a little. "You sound like you know what you're talking about."

She shook her head. "I'm seriously just repeating word for word what Sam told me. He's somewhere in the middle of that mess. I was keeping my eye on him, but I lost him a few minutes ago. I don't think he's gone far though. You'll probably still catch him."

Andy turned away, started walking over

"Andy?"

"Yeah?" She turned to face her.

"Good luck!" Andy smiled at her, not really sure if the luck was for the race or for Sam, but she'd take it either way. She finally reached the road and before she stepped through the barrier, she considered stopping one more time to pee, but the lines at the porta-potties were ridiculous. Finally, she started forcing her way through the people. She knew she was being rude, but she needed to find him. She checked her watch. Ten minutes. Down in the crowd, the noise was close to incredible. Everyone was talking to the person next to them, the announcer was even louder. She started making random sweeps through the crowd, noticing that the farther she got from the front, the higher the numbers on the signs for the pace groups got. Finally, she found herself standing shoulder to shoulder with Sam standing near the front of their group.

She touched his arm and he turned his head towards her, and then away again.

"Cutting it close, McNally."

"I want to talk to you."

"Yeah, well your timing is off. We're going to start any minute." Andy frowned at his tone. It was hard, cold even. It was hardly what she'd been expecting. Even after he'd failed to call her, she at least assumed he might be in a slightly better mood after he'd gotten her message.

Andy looked around, put her ear buds in, and turned on her iPod, leaving the music paused for the time being. She checked her watch. The announcer called out a sixty second warning. She bent down quickly and checked the laces on her shoes, she patted her pockets making sure the single key to Sarah's car was secure along with the two gels she'd put in the pockets at her thighs.

"Listen, I want to say something to you," she started but the announcer began the countdown. As the gun went off, the crowd lurched forward. Each corral was scheduled to start a few minutes after the one in front of it. By Andy's watch, they still had a little under 5 minutes.

"Is it about how you moved all your stuff out of my house? Because I already know about that," Sam replied snappishly and Andy looked at him, starting to get annoyed.

"It's not possible for me to 'move out' since I don't _live there,_" she said in frustration. "I don't know how many times I have to say it."

A short, harsh-sounding laugh was expelled with a breath of air and he looked away. "Trust me. You don't have to say it again."

"Look," she began again, her voice gentler, but the group in front of them started to move and as a result, the people behind them started to get shifty. She looked around and then took a few deep breaths, and started readying herself. She flexed her legs, bending her knees, and jogging in place a few steps, trying to limber up a little more. Then it was their turn. Since they were towards the front, there was little delay in getting across the starting line, and once they did, the people around them thinned out. They should have started in a faster group. Andy picked up her speed, keeping pace with Sam as he shot ahead. He was starting out much faster than they usually ran and she called over to him as she felt her heart pick up. "Slow down a little."

He shot an annoyed look in her direction. "Do you know where you are? It's called a race for a reason." His pace didn't change, and as she watched, they drew closer to the stragglers from the last group.

Andy was getting frustrated. "If you keep this speed up, you'll be worn out before you even get halfway."

"Worry about yourself, McNally," he said.

"Listen, you stubborn asshole," she said, breath coming hard and fast. "I was trying to talk to you back there, but now I'm tempted to just beat your ass into the ground."

He made an amused face. "Are we name-calling now? Because after Friday's performance, I have a few I'm dying to throw at you." He glanced over at her, ran his eyes over her from head to toe and smirked when he saw her glare. "Besides, if I were you, I'd be praying that ankle carries you all the way across the finish line."

"Screw you, Swarek. We both know I'd lap you on a track, injured ankle or not." She'd pretty much given up on civility at this point. He clearly wasn't in the mood to talk; in fact, he seemed eager to get as far away from her as possible. She was more than willing to comply, but he spoke again.

"Care to put your money where your mouth is?" he asked, his breath coming quick and heavy.

She considered it. "Loser pays the registration fee for the marathon?"

"I'm not running the marathon."

"I don't really think that'll be an issue," she said snidely as she started breathing heavier.

"And when I win," he began.

"However small that chance may be?" Andy interrupted.

He smiled to himself. "You have to wear that skirt to the party tonight."

"What skirt?"

"You know what skirt."

"So, it's humiliation then?" He glanced at her then, frowning a little. "Not a chance," she snapped.

His eyebrows went up at her tone and the slight feeling of doubt he'd felt over his stake disappeared. "Hey, if you're afraid you're going to lose…" he said dismissively.

"I'm not going to lose."

"Then what's the problem?" He glanced over at her and her eyes narrowed and she gave a short nod.

"Fine. Deal." Andy dropped her speed significantly and watched him run out ahead of her. She pulled her iPod off her waistband and hit a few buttons, turning on her playlist. As she replaced it, a fast beat started pumping through the earbuds and her stride leveled out. She knew that he wouldn't last long at that speed. She'd wait until he tired, and then she'd catch him. Better to chase than be chased.

Sam kept his speed up for another quarter of a mile. He was hoping to put some distance between them and felt okay at the moment, but she was right. He couldn't maintain that pace for long if he wanted to be able to finish, let alone beat her. Finally lowered his speed slightly, resisting the urge to look over his shoulder, to see how far back she was.

Every kilometer was marked, along with the first two miles, and every five mile spread after that. Andy felt herself relax a little as she listened to the music and let her mind wander to the road and the people around her. The spectators were still thick for the first mile or so, and she read handmade signs held up by children for their parents, for various clubs, whose members were participating.

During the third mile, Andy was running with a group of women all wearing light blue T-shirts. The back of the shirts said they were a group of nurses from the pediatric wing of the hospital. They were running steadily, keeping conversation flowing between them. Andy turned down the volume on her iPod and eavesdropped for a while, listening to hospital gossip until it no longer interested her and then she picked up the pace and snuck up behind Sam.

He'd been slowing ever so slightly for the last quarter mile and she thought maybe he needed a pick-me-up. So she ran up, ran_ next_ to him for a few moments until he glanced over and saw her, and then he sped up. A triumphant smile spread across her face as she let him run out ahead of her. Her plan was to wear him down. She was keeping her pace consistent for the most part. But if she could shake him up every now and again, he'd tire quicker. Then she could pull ahead and stay ahead.

She followed him for the next few miles and then did it again. When he stopped at the second water station, she was right behind him, stepped right up next to him, grabbed the plastic cup held out right next to his. He glanced over, tossed the water back and took off again. He was turning out to be more predictable than she'd imagined.

At mile eight, Sam was feeling the strain. The first seven miles had been harder than he'd expected. He knew he'd started too fast. He'd known it the second he'd crossed the starting line. But he hadn't been able to talk to her. Hadn't wanted to talk to her. She'd ignored him for 24 hours. He felt it was only fair that he give her a taste of her own medicine. They wouldn't have had time to do much of anything but piss each other off anyway. And mission accomplished, as far as that was concerned. He looked over his shoulder, not seeing her immediately and jogged over to the side for a stop at the porta-potties.

Twenty feet behind, Andy followed him over, stepping in to one just as he was stepping out of another. She hurried, and then burst out of the door, rubbing the sanitizer into her hands as she took off after him again. For the next two miles, she stayed close, running behind a married couple.

At the last water station a mile from the finish, Sam slowed to a jog and grabbed the cup from the third volunteer standing next to the table. He slowed to a walk to toss back the ounce or so of water at the bottom and as he did, he saw a flash of yellow off to his left as Andy blew past him. Dropping the cup, he pushed off and took off after her, but he was tired. He'd been working so hard to stay ahead of her that he'd worn himself out.

Andy had been waiting. She'd wanted to stay consistent throughout and she'd been behind him the entire race, running at a similar pace, keeping ten to twenty feet between them. She'd stopped every time he did, at the porta-potties, at every water station he'd stopped at, to prevent having to so by herself and losing him. When he got to the last water stop and she saw him slow, she pushed it. She knew the finish line wasn't far and if she had to sprint the last half mile or so, she was prepared to try it. She'd been tired for the last 2 or 3 miles. Her muscles were so fatigued, they almost felt numb and for a second, she didn't think she'd make it, didn't think she'd beat him. She finished the thirteen miles, but still had a tenth of a mile to go. Up ahead she saw the finish line and an irrational laugh bubbled out of her. She focused on a random guy in a red shirt in front of her and chased him all the way into the finishers' chute.

She crossed two seconds after the red shirt, making a note of the time on the gun clock. Andy ran under the banner and slowed down as she started passing tables of volunteers holding out bottles of Gatorade, water, bananas, milk. She bent over, bracing her hands on her knees and pushed air in and out of her lungs for a few seconds. And then she straightened and grabbed everything they held out to her. Someone put a finisher's medal over her head and she kept glancing over her shoulder as she walked woodenly over to the opening in the barriers where she saw Traci, Sarah, Oliver and a few other people she recognized. On her way, she opened the bottle of water and down it went, spilling down over her lips and onto her shirt as she drank it quickly. The second she passed through the barriers and into a group of cheering off-duty police officers, Sam crossed the finish line.

He looked as tired as Andy felt and as he grabbed all his free food and drink, she turned around to Traci and Oliver who were patting her on the back. Sam walked up to the group, and Andy found herself stuck in the middle of a crowd of people. The heat of her skin and the stickiness of the sweat made her push through to the outside where she could feel the breeze. Traci followed her and threw her arms around her and Andy stiffened. "Don't touch me right now. I'm hot and gross." Traci laughed and held her arms up. Andy just wanted to cool down, to feel her heart slow. The wind picked up a little and she walked around in a large circle, feeling her knees threatening to buckle. She crouched down and set all her stuff on the grass and then grabbed her toes, hearing a moan pass through her lips as she stretched. As she felt the stretch, a smile formed on her face, and as the feeling of accomplishment washed over her, she turned her head and grinned at Traci who squatted down next to her and started talking. Andy was only half-listening.

Bent over, she looked towards the group where Sarah was hugging Sam. His eyes moved back and forth over the people and finally they settled on her face. Her smile fell away, but she didn't break the eye contact as she sank to the ground and continued her stretching. For a second, she imagined he was about to push everyone aside and come over to her, but there were people surrounding them, and everyone was talking. Andy broke the eye contact as Zoe came up and crouched next to her and started talking.

By the time Sam had finished talking to people, and found a place to stretch, Andy was done. He watched her as she stood near a stand of trees and talked to Shaw, Best, and Sarah. Nash, Zoe and Noelle were watching the kids chase each other around a couple of sponsor's booths a little bit away from the group. He turned and saw Diaz, Peck, and Epstein walking back from a vendor selling food. He wasn't sure where Barber had disappeared to. Sarah called to him, waved him over and he stood, walked to her, muscles still tight from the race, and from the intense, irritated way Andy was looking at him. Sarah grabbed his arm and swung him around so he was standing next to Andy.

"I've got to get a few shots." Sam rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. "It won't take long," Sarah said.

They stood uncomfortably together, following Sarah's instructions to pose with different people, and the whole group. Finally, they stood by themselves, not even glancing over. Realizing this was the first chance she'd had since they finished, Andy started talking, trying to keep her mouth smiling for the camera the whole time.

"Look," she said, under her breath. "I'm sorry, alright? I shouldn't have just blown up at you like that and I shouldn't have doubted you or this. Us. Whatever." Her eyes cut to him, saw him staring toward the camera, but the way he clenched his jaw when she spoke told her he was listening. She continued. "And I shouldn't have left. And when you asked," she paused and Sam looked over at her, met her eyes. "I should have told you that I want us to be together. And if you'd bothered to call me, you'd know all this by now," she finished, her voice like ice.

Her name was hanging on his lips, but Sarah passed the camera off to Zoe and she thrust herself between them, putting an arm around each of their necks. They all faced the camera and smiled, however insincerely, and Sarah muttered through her grin, "Have you two made up yet?"

"Mind your own business," Sam snapped, clearly irritated, and over the whole photography thing.

"Just checking." She ran back and Zoe set the camera back into her hands and Sarah yelled to them. "If you could at least _pretend_ to like each other, this would go a lot faster." Andy rolled her eyes and stepped closer to him and like it was any other day, Sam's arm wrapped around her, hand resting familiarly on her waist and out of habit, she leaned into him. "How about a kiss?" Sarah called.

"Come on, Sarah," Sam yelled at her, losing his patience. The more crabby Sam sounded, the more irritated Andy got. She crossed her arms and started shaking her head. But Shaw and Peck began to catcall and whistle, which started a chain reaction in the group that had once again gathered and finally, just to shut them up, Sam turned to Andy, arm still around her and tipped her chin up slightly with the knuckle of his of his index finger. He leaned over and a second before he kissed her, he said low enough so only she could hear, "We're not done with this."

Her hands moved up; her fingers gripped his upper arms and she narrowed her eyes and said, "We're not," but the sound was lost as his mouth touched hers.


	19. Chapter 19

**Note: I meant to have this out yesterday, but The Witness has been distracting me. As always, special thanks to Cocobean2206, icewitch73, and to happyheart65 (who is my newest online running buddy). This is the last full-length chapter in the Distance. As sad as some of you are, I'm even worse, so don't be surprised if these versions of Sam and Andy somehow find their way into another story sometime in the future.**

**This one is dedicated to everyone who's been reading and rereading this since the very first day I posted.**

* * *

><p>Sam yawned. Waking up so early, pushing his body harder than he'd pushed it in a while; it was taking its toll. He and Sarah had stopped for a ridiculous amount of food and now they were driving back to his house; or rather, she was driving his truck. He yawned and stared out the window, thinking about the race. He'd seen Andy finish, seen her kick hard for the last tenth of a mile. Even though he knew he'd lost, he was smiling when he saw that. It was something she'd worked hard for; they'd both worked hard for it. Silently, he admitted to himself that most of the time, it hadn't felt like work. When he'd exited the chute, when he'd stepped up to the group, he'd wanted to see her, to see the expression on her face when she realized she'd finished. But when he did see her, her face was emotionless, and she'd stared at him. And he'd felt a tiny pang of guilt because he knew that she wasn't thinking about the race at all.<p>

When he'd kissed her, they'd both still been angry, or were angry again. At each other, at Sarah, at the whole situation. But when he'd finally pulled away, after what seemed like only a second, she'd been almost pliant in his arms, her eyes had been closed, hands relaxed as they rested on the muscle of his arms. And then she'd opened her eyes, remembered where they were and her hands sprang away; and he'd let go of her and she'd stepped back. Sarah had called to them that they were finished, and Andy took another step, turned slowly on her heel and headed off with Traci, and her other friends towards the massage tent. After he finally looked away from her retreat, he turned and went with Sarah, Shaw and his family to find something to eat. Eventually, everyone split up as people began to go home. Somewhere along the way, he'd lost track of her. He didn't know when she left; how she left. His next thought was to go to her place so they could talk, but he and Sarah had arrived together and she needed him to drive her to the store. And when Sarah drove past her place on the way back, her windows had been dark, and the place looked empty.

And now that they were pulling into his driveway, he wasn't really thinking about much other than a nap. A long one. They carried the groceries into the house and Sarah started putting the perishables away. She looked at him, noting the fatigue present on his face, in his body as he leaned against the door frame.

"Go to bed. You aren't going to be any good to me at the poker table if you're tired," she said matter-of-factly.

"I think I might," he replied with another yawn.

She ripped open a case of soda. "I'll be quiet," she said as she popped the top on a Coke. "Might sleep a little myself." He nodded, slapping a hand against the door frame, and walked down the hall to the bathroom for a quick rinse. The hot shower only intensified the need to sleep and he wrapped a towel around his waist and carried his clothing back into the bedroom. His wallet fell out of the pocket of his sweatshirt onto the floor and he stepped forward, his foot hitting the leather solidly and it slid across the carpet and under the bed. He paused as he experienced the strangest feeling of déjà vu and considered going after it, but the sight of his pillow was too inviting. He made a mental note to look for it later and then quickly dried off, running the towel roughly over his head, and pulled on a pair of boxers. He flopped down onto the bed and pulled the blanket up over his shoulder and closed his eyes.

* * *

><p>When Sam woke, his room was still dark; he heard no noise from other parts of the house. He was still exhausted. The nap helped, but he was feeling it all over. His eyes closed again and he turned over, noting with some disappointment that he was already starting to stiffen up. He'd run the distance before, but never as hard or as fast as he had today, and he'd stretched, but clearly not long enough. His muscles would only get worse the longer he laid in bed and so he sat up with a yawn and threw back the blankets. Outside the bed, the house was chilled and he dressed quickly, and then remembered his wallet. He got down on the floor and stretched his hand under the bed. Nothing. He grabbed the lamp of the bedside table and took off the shade and turned it on, angling it under the bed. He thought he saw it, way on the other side, near the head of the bed.<p>

Scrambling over the mattress, Sam pulled the bed away from the wall and there lay his wallet. Right next to his cell phone. He stared at it in surprise for a moment and then bent down and picked them both up. The wallet went into his pocket. He ripped his charger from the wall, plugged the end into the cell phone and then plugged the whole mess into the outlet in the bathroom. He pushed the button to turn it on and listened for the chime as he put his hands under the faucet. He ran his fingers through his hair, trying to get it to lie flat. The effort mostly succeeded. He turned his face one way and then the other, trying to decide if he should shave. He hadn't before the race and finally, chose in favor of it. Sam lathered up and glanced over at his phone. It sat there, completely innocuous. He'd finished shaving one side when it beeped letting him know he had missed calls and voicemails. His eyes went to it and his hands paused. Resisting the temptation, he quickly finished up, splashing water on his face, and using a towel to dry. Then he flipped the toilet seat down, sat on it and checked the calls.

His heart started thudding in his chest when he saw 1. Oliver Shaw 2. Andy McNally 3. Andy McNally 4. Jerry Barber. He punched in the buttons waiting for the first message. Oliver. He deleted it without listening to it. The next one was a call from the night before. When he heard her voice he stilled, every muscle freezing as she said his name.

"_Hey, Sam. It's Andy. As if you didn't already know that,"_ she muttered. _"I'm an idiot_." He smiled once, quickly. _"Look, I want to say I'm sorry, but I'm not really sure how to say it and I don't think I'll know until I see you. Anyway, I want to get this all figured out before we run tomorrow, so, just call me and I'll come over, alright? Please call."_ She paused a beat and then quieter, she said, _"I love you."_

Okay. He sat there, an elbow braced on his knee as he leaned over and held the phone in his hand as he rewound the events of the day, playing over them in his head, knowing what he knew now. He got it. The dirty looks, the biting retorts. She thought he'd heard the message and ignored it. He heard a tinny noise and realized he hadn't hung up yet. Bringing the phone back to his ear, he listened to the voicemail woman tell him he had one more unplayed message. He pushed the buttons to make it play. First there was nothing but the sound of rushing air, and then Andy yelled a curse word and clicked off. His face split into a wide grin and he ended the call. He rubbed a hand at the back of his neck as he made a decision and stood up, snapping the charger from the wall and wrapping the cord around the phone. He all but ran into the kitchen and grabbed his coat off the chair.

"Hey, where are you going?" Sarah asked as she put a lid on a plastic container and set it carefully into a paper bag with handles.

"To see her." He zipped up, shoved the phone and charger into his pocket and pulled out his keys.

Sarah turned to look at him. "She's probably already at Barber's."

"What?" His head turned to look at the clock and his eyes widened. Five-thirty. "Why'd you let me sleep so late?"

"Like I'm your mother." She handed him a few bags. "Here, take this stuff out to the truck. I'll be ready in ten minutes."

* * *

><p>Andy woke up to her alarm at six. The sun was going down outside her window. She sat up and rolled her head around on her shoulders. After she'd walked away from Sam, she and Traci had headed to the massage tents to see the sports medicine people, while Dov, Chris and Gail decided to head for their car. But the wait had been so long, they'd finally bagged it in favor of a late breakfast. She and Traci, plus Leo, had joined Barber, Best and Williams for omelets at the restaurant they'd gone to the day she'd accosted Sam in the women's bathroom. As she remembered that again, she smiled as she kicked the covers off.<p>

She'd talked at length about her training and about her plans for the marathon, but after the questions ended and they started talking about other things, Andy's mind began to wander. After that kiss, she hadn't been much good for casual conversation anyway.

She couldn't remember if they'd ever kissed while she was mad; while he was mad. She thought not. After today, she was sure she'd have remembered it. It hadn't been gentle or soft. It hadn't been a reunion. At the moment he'd kissed her, they were still at war, and her hands had gripped his arms, pulling him, holding him in place as he bent to her mouth. And he'd consumed her. His mouth swept over hers and he'd all but devoured her on the spot, in front of everyone. In fact, if it had taken place somewhere a little more private, even as mad as they'd been, Andy was pretty sure she'd still be looking for her underwear. The blood had rushed to her face and she'd jerked out of her daydream and shoved a forkful of eggs into her mouth self-consciously, smiling as Noelle looked over at her curiously.

She actually felt a little warm thinking about it now. She took a deep breath and threw the comforter off and climbed out of bed. For the second day in a row, she winced, feeling her muscles protest as she padded across the room and out towards the bathroom. She washed her face, brushed her teeth and went back to the bedroom to dress. It had been a beautiful day, warmish, sunny, and she assumed it would be a nice night so she pulled out a pair of jeans and a slightly silky-feeling purple top. It was sleeveless, flowy, and rippled down to her hips. In her apartment, she felt a little chilled, but with all the people packed into Jerry's place, she'd be okay. She reached for the silver bracelet, sliding it over her hand, spinning it out of habit as it settled on her wrist. Then Andy went back to the bathroom and did some work on her hair and face. She still thought she looked a little tired, and so she covered up the dark circles, and considered pulling her hair back, but in the end, just left it hanging down her back. Then the mascara and a little lipstick. Afterwards, she gave herself one last long look. Everything was in place, everything the way it should be. Except for one thing. And hopefully, she'd fix that tonight. She was going to try again. She left the bathroom, put on her coat and shoes. Then she grabbed her wallet and keys and left for Jerry's.

* * *

><p>When Sam and Sarah entered the house, they were greeted by a few people. He took a few steps down the stairs into the finished basement and bent at the waist to see who was down there. There were only a handful of people he recognized and he nodded to them. Diaz and Peck were standing in a corner, talking and he called to Chris. Neither of them had seen Andy yet and he nodded, feeling the anxiety building inside him. The whole way over, he'd been preparing himself for when he saw her. And she wasn't there. He headed back up the stairs and shot Sarah an irritated look as he followed her into the kitchen with the food. She made quick work of setting out bags of snacks, a couple cases of soda, a couple cases of beer. While he was sleeping, she'd put together some sort of dip tray with cut up vegetables and she took a handful of carrots as she turned on her phone. She'd held off on ordering the pizza but after scanning the house to see how many people had shown up, she grabbed the phone book off the counter and started dialing.<p>

Sam heard Jerry call his name and he looked over. He and Shaw were already sitting at the table waiting for them. He put an arm around Sarah's shoulders and pulled her over with him while she was arguing over the phone with the cashier at the pizza place trying to get a discount for a large order. Sam sat down and looked once over his shoulder towards the entrance, willing her to walk through the door and when she didn't, he dealt a single card to each of them. The guys all looked at theirs. Finally Sarah and the pizza guy seemed to come to an agreement and as she hung up the phone, she sat down in a chair, and flipped over a three. "Looks like it's my deal," she said with a smile and grinning back, Sam slid the deck over to her.

* * *

><p>Andy walked into the house around an hour later and straight down the stairs to the lower level. When Sam and Sarah had shown up, there were maybe a dozen people making themselves at home, talking amongst themselves. But when Andy entered, the number had doubled at least. There was music coming out of the stereo. Oliver's girls and Leo were planted in front of Jerry's flat screen playing video games while Dov looked on, calling out cheats and advice to Leo. Traci was drinking a Diet Coke and was talking to Chris and Gail in a corner of the room; each of them had a beer in their hand. As she approached, she put her hands in the back pockets of her jeans and looked around. Noelle and Frank were standing by the window, talking alone, and she recognized a few other people from the station making use of Jerry's pool table.<p>

"Who are all these people?" Andy asked loudly with a laugh. "I kind of thought it was just going to be us…you know?"

Traci laughed. "Oliver ran into some people he knew from 27 at the race and invited them. I don't think he actually expected them to show up, but it's not like we can kick them out." She pointed towards the door. "Look." Five more people Andy didn't recognize walked in.

"I hope this isn't the kind of party where I have to make a speech," Andy said with a hesitant laugh.

Traci grinned at her. "Honestly, I don't think most of these people know why they're here. And Swarek hasn't set foot down here since he showed up, so I wouldn't worry about it."

At the mention of his name, Andy's eyes went back to Traci. "Where is he?"

Traci pointed towards the stairs. "They're just through the kitchen. I'd take you, but," she glanced at the pool table. "It looks like they're almost done, and Gail and I have next game."

Andy waved a hand nervously. "I'll find him. No big deal."

"Hey," Traci said. "How did that whole picture disaster turn out?"

Andy paused and then smiled. "We're working on it." Then she turned away and stepped around the people crowding into the room. She walked up the stairs and around the corner, through the kitchen. It was massive, spotless, like he maybe never used it. A large peninsula separated the kitchen from the dining room and she knew that if she peeked under the cabinets she could see them. And she could definitely hear them. Over the sound of the bass downstairs and Pandora playing over the speakers upstairs, Sarah and Shaw were arguing about the deal, and Andy listened to them bicker as she stepped up to the counter. There was food everywhere. It looked like every person downstairs had brought either food or beer. She grabbed a plate and started loading up, stomach growling as she realized it had been hours since she'd last eaten. She snagged a beer from the fridge and carried the heaping plate to the other side of the peninsula. They sat at the dining room table, maybe three feet from the counter. Sam's back was to it, and as a result, she passed right behind him and moved to the stool in the corner close to the wall. She set the plate down on the counter and as she pulled the stool out, the wood squeaked against the floor and he looked over.

The color she wore reminded him of the way her hair smelled when she was fresh out of the shower, and he just looked at her, head turned all the way to the right. Andy pushed her hair out of her eyes, behind her ear and settled on the seat of the stool. She used her hand to twist the top off the beer and took a long drink. Then she set the beer down and popped a few chips into her mouth. She swiveled on the stool while she chewed and caught him looking at her. She swallowed, washing the chips down with another sip of beer and gave him a quick hesitant smile. He returned it, thoughtful as the anxiety he'd felt earlier started to leech out of his body.

"Hey, McNally," Shaw said. She tore her eyes away and looked at Oliver. "You want to get in on this?"

"Ah…" she looked around the table, saw the set of Sarah's shoulders, the way her eyes darted around the table and Andy shook her head. "I think I'll just watch for a while."

* * *

><p>It didn't take long for Andy to see what was happening. If Oliver and Jerry knew, they never said anything. She was pretty sure if they did know, they wouldn't have been so eager for Sarah to play again. She sat across the table from Sam, and her artist's eyes were moving over everyone. Catching every detail in seconds. She picked up her cards, looked at them for a single moment and then laid them back down on the table, never glancing at them again. Oliver was staring at his cards, then back at Jerry who was dealing, and then back at his cards. Jerry was cool. He was talking to Sam, acting like he didn't have a care in the world, but every now and again, his hand would move to his face, smoothing his thumb and forefinger over the top of his lip where his mustache used to be, and then he'd run them down his cheeks, next to his lips. As she noticed that, her eyes went to Sarah. Sarah had already seen it and was doing a great job of keeping the smile off her face. Andy couldn't see what Sam was doing and she pulled her stool away from the counter another foot so she could see him better.<p>

Sam's eyes were intent on Oliver. Finally Oliver threw in his bet and then Andy saw it. To be fair, she'd almost missed it. If she hadn't pulled the stool out, she would have. But as Oliver's chips hit the table, Sarah and Sam raised their eyes to each other for a split second. It wasn't cheating, as far as Andy could see. No words were spoken, there was no movement at all. But Sarah called Oliver without hesitation and Jerry laid down the flop. Sam folded and everyone else made their bets. Jerry and Oliver stayed in, and Sarah wound up taking the pot.

She kept her eyes on them for the next hand and they did it again; Sam took it this time. Every now and again, someone else would win a hand, but it was like they knew each other's faces so well, that it was literally impossible for them to bluff each other. Once they took care of Barber and Shaw, she imagined that everyone was in for a long night as the two of them battled it out. At least Jerry and Oliver looked like they were having a good time. They'd been swapping stories since before she got there, trying to distract Sarah, but she was able to listen, or at least appear to listen, and still watch.

Once, Sarah raised her gaze to Andy and gave her a conspiratorial smile and Andy tried hard to keep a return smile off her face. She failed and as her gaze swung away, it moved instinctively towards Sam and she found his head turned, his eyes on her again.

The last time she'd seen him, he hadn't looked like this. He'd been sweaty, every muscle tensed. His eyes had been hard, and his mouth tight. He'd been angry. But something had changed, and she wasn't exactly sure what. A shower had taken care of the sweat and dirt from the road and he looked as good as he usually did. This time, his face was relaxed. In fact, his whole body was relaxed, as he sat sprawled out in the chair. But his eyes were alert and his gaze intense as it focused on her.

Though she tried, she couldn't tear her eyes away from his. She felt warmth creep up over her chest, up to her neck and her lips parted, a breath escaping. A small smile formed on his lips and she felt herself smiling back, although she wasn't sure why. Oliver looked over at Sam and then at Andy and snapped his fingers in front of Sam's face.

"You're up, buddy." He looked back at Andy. "No fair distracting the players, McNally. Go find something to do." Andy rolled her eyes, got up off the stool and walked out of the room, not noticing as Sam's head turned and he followed her with his eyes. Sarah cleared her throat and he turned back. He saw her eyebrows raised and he raised his back at her, gesturing at the table full of cards and chips, mouthing _What? _Sarah shook her head at him and started shuffling the deck.

Andy made a round through the house. The basement had even more people in it, though she couldn't remember hearing the door. She walked through, sidestepping pool cues and Zoe as she chased her girls in their coats through the doors and out into the bottom part of the yard. Andy stepped outside behind them and rubbed her hands over her arms. The sky was dark, in fact the yard was lit only by the flood lights shining off Jerry's upstairs deck and she smiled as she watched Zoe play with her girls and Leo as he came barreling out of the house to join them. Andy looked at her watch. The kids would be going home soon and then she had a feeling that things might really get started, even though almost everyone inside had to work the next day, herself included.

The air was chilly but clean, and a welcome change from the stifling heat of the bodies moving around in the basement. Eventually though, she grew too cold and had to go back inside. She closed the door behind her and made her way back upstairs and back to her stool. She watched for a while longer until Oliver finally stood up and threw his cards down.

"That's it. I'm out. If I lose any more, my wife'll kill me." He picked up his beer and left the room. As the three of them continued, Andy went to the bedroom and picked up her coat and settled it over her shoulders and then went back to the kitchen for another beer. She walked past the table, smiling once at Sarah as she moved to the doors leading out to the deck and exited. With her coat on, the outside wasn't so bad. She left it unzipped and leaned over, propping her elbows on the railing and looking out at the sky. She took a long pull off the beer and waited.

Jerry's house was on a small hill, and in front of her, she could see the lights of the city blinking and shining away. Behind her, she heard the door click open and closed and felt every hair on her body stand up as Sam came up and stood next to her, putting his elbows on the railing as well.

"McNally," he said quietly, staring out with her. "I think we need to talk." She straightened and turned slightly, facing him, one elbow still on the railing, holding the bottle. The wind stirred her hair, and she shivered as it slithered past her neck. He also stood up, and then they were facing each other. She glanced over her shoulder through the window.

"I think they're waiting for you." In fact, they weren't. Sarah and Jerry seemed locked into conversation. Both of them were incredibly insistent on whatever topic they were discussing. Hands were flying all over the place, their voices were raised, but both were smiling; neither of them even looked their way.

Sam didn't even turn his head. "They can keep waiting."

"Sam," Andy said, but he cut her off, holding up a hand as he took a step towards her. She set the bottle on top of the railing and stepped away from it. Again the wind moved and she caught the smell of the soap he'd used that afternoon, the light fresh smell of clean clothing and something delicious that was all him. It was surrounding her, distracting her. She loved that smell. She took a breath and then focused on him. "I don't want to fight with you anymore," she said quietly. He was looking at her so intently that she felt her eyes shift away uncomfortably, against her will.

"I thought you liked to fight with me," he said smiling at her. She didn't answer him and he ducked his head a little. "I lost my phone," he said. And her eyes snapped back to his. "That night? Friday? I just found it. I didn't get your messages until right before I got here."

She took a breath, feeling relief flood through her. "Oh," she said on an exhale. "I was wondering about that," she said with a nervous smile. "I guess that makes things a little easier." And then she looked at him, eyes narrowed the tiniest amount. "I tried to apologize today."

"I remember," he said with a short laugh. "It was very heartfelt." He grinned when her eyes skittered off to the side, in slight embarrassment. "But you were right," he said and they came back. "I was an asshole," he said with a small smile.

"Maybe a little," she said flashing a quick toothy smile, relaxing a little more. "Wait," she said frowning. "Did you say 'messages' as in more than one?"

An amused look passed over his face. "Uh, yeah. You have a filthy mouth." And then the amusement turned into a full-dimpled grin and again, she felt herself responding, her face mimicking his, her breath coming a little quicker.

And then she stopped breathing altogether as the smile left his face and his hand came up between the open zipper of her coat to the hem of her shirt and he ran it between his fingers, feeling the cool fabric slide under the pad of his thumb. His head was down and she whispered his name, feeling her heart swell as he looked up and his eyes locked onto hers.

"Will you go somewhere with me?" he asked quietly, eyes searching hers.

She didn't look away for an instant. "Where?" she asked.

He smiled a little, gave a short, soft laugh. "Anywhere?"

She bit her lip and then nodded, lips curving into a tentative smile. "Let's go."

They walked back inside, Sam stretched an arm out, holding the door open as Andy walked through it and they kept moving quickly, even though both Sarah and Jerry turned to look at them.

"Sammy, I know you're not leaving me here alone with her," Jerry said loudly and Sarah threw him a shocked look.

Sam shrugged and held his hands up helplessly as he followed Andy. "Sorry, buddy." His eyes widened as he saw Epstein and Peck turn the corner and walk into the kitchen. He put a hand on Epstein's shoulder and as Andy waited by the door, he walked him over to the table.

"Have Epstein take my spot. He likes to play."

"Yeah," Dov said, suddenly alert, looking back and forth between Sarah and Jerry. "That'd be great." Andy watched as a grin spread over Sam's face. Gail sat down at the table too, and set her beer on the coaster Jerry pushed towards her. She looked once at Sarah and Sarah eyed her back. Neither of them smiled. Andy felt a laugh coming on at the thought of watching Sarah and Gail square off and she held it in, imagining It unfold.

Andy handed Sam Sarah's car keys and he walked them over to her. She put them in her pocket and Sam put his hand flat on the table and leaned in, whispering in her ear. A surprised look came over Sarah's face and then she flashed him a quick smile and nodded. He grabbed his coat off the bench under the window and as he walked back to meet Andy, Sarah looked up at her and gave her a smile and a quick wave.

Andy smiled and waved back and then Sam said, "Ready?" She turned to him and nodded, said a word in agreement and the two of them walked out of the house. He shrugged on his coat and they moved quickly, passing a couple of people next to the garage smoking cigarettes and another few walking more slowly out to the driveway.

"What did you say to her?" Andy asked as she put her hands in her pockets.

He looked at her. "I told her I owed Epstein a little payback." He grinned. "For that night he busted us."

Andy narrowed her eyes, but couldn't keep the smile off her face. "That's a little…mean. Don't you think?"

He shrugged. "He said he was good." He laughed a little. "Time to let him prove it."

* * *

><p>Sam stepped close to her as he unlocked her door and she climbed in, looking at him through the window as he shut the door solidly behind her. He got in, buckled his belt and pulled out of the driveway carefully, pulling around the vehicles that were parked haphazardly. Suddenly alone with him in the quiet of the truck, Andy started getting anxious. They were there together, but things weren't settled, and she started tapping her fingers on her leg.<p>

Sam looked over. One hand was wrapped around her shoulder belt over her chest while the other one beat out a rapid staccato on her thigh. "You're nervous?" he asked.

She nodded, smiling guiltily. "Aren't you?"

He gave her a quick smile. "Maybe a little. Here," he said and put his elbow on the console, holding his hand out. She put hers into his and took a deep breath. It was a little easier when they were touching, calming. "Better?" he asked and she turned to him and nodded, exhaling with a wide smile. Her eyes moved to the window again and after a while, she pointed.

"Park up there." He swung the truck into a space and their hands separated as they zipped up their coats, put on their hats and exited the vehicle. They stepped up onto the sidewalk and then onto the path and walked into their park. It was different at night. They'd each run through it a few times in the dark, but Andy hadn't been paying attention to much except the running. The trees overhead were still mostly bare, spotted with buds due to open up in the coming weeks. There were benches scattered at regular intervals down the length of this leg of the path with solitary street lights placed behind them, lighting the way. The air was a little cold, and Andy pulled her hands up inside her sleeves and then shoved them into her pockets. She glanced over.

Sam was staring straight ahead, eyes clear and unblinking and she walked a little closer to him, shoulder brushing against his with her next step. At the touch, a very brief look of pleasure passed over his face and encouraged, she pulled her hand out of her pocket and put her arm through his. He looked over at her, watching her for a moment, and saw her staring at the ground ahead of them, a soft smile building on her face. Then he looked away, feeling himself lighten with each step.

They walked quietly like this for a few minutes, taking the time to get used to each other again, to feel comfortable in each other's space and then Sam spoke.

"Do you really think I hold things back from you?" he asked, glancing over at her.

Andy didn't speak right away. But he saw her lips press together, and her forehead crease a little as she thought about it.

"Okay, I'll take that as a yes," he said, with a small laugh after a moment.

"It's not that I think you do it on purpose," Andy said quickly, sliding her hand down from around his arm to clutch at his hand and then she shrugged. "It's something you've probably always done. I'm guessing it didn't help that while you were undercover it was kind of a job requirement."

"Yeah, well, I haven't done that job for a long time," he said quietly, thinking about it.

She glanced at him. "I know that if I found the right questions to ask, I could probably get anything out of you," she said, and he shook his head slightly.

"You shouldn't have to work that hard," he said with a tight smile. "It's a bad habit. But if it helps, it's not just you," he said as he laced his fingers through hers.

"I know," she said with a nod.

"I mean, Oliver gets things out of me because he's known me forever; he _knows_ the questions to ask. And Sarah." He smiled, thinking of her. "Sarah is a little fuzzy on the concept of privacy."

"You're not wrong," Andy said, nudging him.

"Yeah, she's a pain in the ass," he said with a laugh. Then he got serious again. "We spend so much time together, that I think I forget there are things you don't know about me; things you should know, like Sarah. And with Kate," he took a deep breath, rolling the words around in his head. "I think with Kate, I was just trying to make things easier. I know how it felt when I used to think about you and Callaghan. How it still feels," he said as an afterthought.

"Sam," she said quietly, a frown wrinkling her forehead as she saw a very slight look of pain cross his face. But it disappeared almost instantly.

He looked at her again. "And I don't want you to feel like that," he finished. "I thought it would make things better to just forget about it; that it would just…go away, I guess. But obviously, I was wrong, so…" he took a deep breath. "I'm not going to do that anymore. If you still want to know about things, how things were, I'll tell you. Either way, we're going to talk." He smiled wryly. "Apparently, we don't talk enough."

Andy frowned. "Who told you that?"

"Who do you think?"

"Your sister's working overtime this trip." He looked at her and she raised her eyebrows at him and he nodded slowly.

"Yeah, she's not allowed to talk to you anymore."

Andy grinned. "I actually kind of like her."

"Great," he said. "You'll be ganging up on me in a month." Then his expression sobered up and he asked her again. "So what do you want to know?"

Andy turned her eyes away. "Let me think about it." They walked slowly; the slowest Andy had ever moved down this path. And they finally stopped at a wooden bench with no back. The light overhead cast yellowish light down on their hats and shoulders. Sam straddled the bench and she did the same, tucking her coat under her butt to keep the chill off. They sat there, facing each other, knees pressed together and after a long, quiet, uncomfortable moment, Sam held his hands out palms up, forearms resting on his thighs. Andy smiled a little and held out her hands palms down, wrapping her fingers around his wrists, looking up at him as his closed around hers.

"Better?" he asked again, and again she nodded, smiling.

"So," she said, looking around them. "Now what?"

"Uh, I guess now we talk," Sam said. They looked at each other and seconds of silence ticked by and Andy felt a smile spreading over her face and watched as Sam's face mirrored hers.

"This is really awkward," she said with a laugh.

He chuckled and squeezed her wrists. "Just give it a minute. We know how to do this." Andy rolled her shoulders a little and then looked at him again.

"Ok, relaxed now," she said with a grin.

"Right," he muttered under his breath.

She looked at him and took a deep breath. "Tell me about when you broke up."

He nodded and thought about it. "That day? The day with that traffic stop; the guy with the gun? Do you remember?

She bit her lip and nodded twice, slowly. "Not exactly a day I'll ever forget," she said seriously.

"Me either," he said, looked down at their hands, running his thumbs over her wrists. "Anyway, I went home after talking to the shrink and Kate was there. She was packing up the things she'd left; clothes, some other stuff. She knew it was over. I didn't even need to tell her."

"She just knew?" Andy asked, a little surprised.

Sam nodded. "We talked a little, mostly about you," he added with a smile, "and then we drank a little. And then she went home, and the next day I went to see you. Which is when I saw you standing in the street talking to Callaghan in your robe." She kicked his ankle lightly. He winced, reaching down to rub at the site of the impact and then grinned at Andy. "When we ran into her…" He exhaled. "It was the first time I'd seen her since then, and I was surprised, and I was happy to see her. Not because I missed her," he said quickly, looking at her pointedly. "Just because it was nice to see her. And when she said she made a mistake, you didn't see her face. She wasn't serious; at least not totally. I think she knew before I did that I was in love with you." She blinked and he felt her fingers tighten on his skin. "That I _am_ in love with you." Andy smiled and a shuddering breath escaped her lips. She opened her mouth, but he was still talking. "Look, somewhere along the way, you stopped trusting me. And I don't know if I really did anything to deserve that."

"You didn't," she said, shaking her head. "You did everything right."

He scratched the back of his head. "Well, I don't think I'd go_ that_ far." He looked down again at their hands. "I knew there was something wrong, and I didn't do anything. I should have pushed harder. So, I'm sorry." For a moment, the silence stretched out between them.

"I'm sorry too," Andy answered finally, very quietly; her eyes were locked onto his and they were steady.

"You already apologized," he said, grinning as he remembered it; how the tone of her voice had definitely _not_ been sorry.

"It wasn't good enough. I feel like I should do it again," she said with a laugh.

"You don't have to. I don't want you to," he said with a shrug.

"But the things I said that night... I just..." She licked her lips and exhaled. She looked down for a second and then raised her gaze to his again. "I just never expected to need you so much," she finished, a little embarrassed. "And I _definitely_ never expected to have to tell you." She laughed a little and looked away.

He reached up and touched her face with the tips of his fingers; turned it toward him. "_That?_ _That_ I want to hear," he said sliding his fingers into her hair under her hat, holding her face in his hand.

She sucked in a breath, looked down and started talking. "When I thought there might be a chance that this was all just temporary," she shook her head as she bit her lip. "I just kind of...lost it." Then her eyes fixed on his and he leaned closer.

"Andy," he said quietly. "Nothing about this relationship is temporary. The way I feel about you... It's never going away. You just have to trust me. I will never not want to be with you. And every day I'm going to find a new way to make you believe it."

She blinked a few times, smiling shakily. "Wow," she said with half a laugh. "That was really, um…" She paused and blew out a breath as she tried to pull herself together. "If you make me cry in front of you, I swear to God I'll never forgive you," she said, laughing weakly again.

Sam grinned and then bent to her ear and whispered, "I think I'll risk it." Then his mouth moved to hers and he kissed her for the second time that day. His lips slid against hers with a deliberate slowness that shot bolts of warmth through her entire body. He pulled away and her hands found his again, holding them on her knees.

Andy licked her lips again. "We're making a lot of mistakes," she said, watching him through narrowed eyes.

He shrugged. "Can't be easy all the time. But, hey at least we'll never be bored, right?" She breathed out a laugh and nodded, looking up when he continued. "It's alright. We're going to sit here and talk some more and get to know each other a little better."

"I already know you," Andy said with a smile.

Sam brought his hand up to her face again and ran his thumb over her bottom lip and then it dropped away. "Not as well as I want you to," he said seriously, his eyebrows low over his eyes. He put his hands on her legs, under her knees and lifted them and then slid forward a little, hooking her knees over his, bringing them closer. He left his hands on top of her legs and she covered them with hers. "So, where do you want to start?"

Andy swung her legs a little, and considered it. She was feeling distracted. The man was a furnace. Despite the chill around them, where his hands touched hers, she felt heat. With her stiff legs stacked on top of his, the skin under her jeans, once cold from the bench, warmed quickly. "How about the awkward teenage years?" she asked running her icy fingertips over the backs of his hands and then laughed a little as Sam shook his head.

"I didn't have any awkward years," he said smugly, flashing the dimples one more time.

"Maybe you're just getting into them now," Andy said seriously, raising her eyebrows as she grinned.

"Cute." He closed his eyes briefly as he thought back. "Okay," he said, scanning back through the memories. "When I was thirteen, one of my friends dared me to shoplift something from the store on the corner." He saw the amused look on Andy's face. "Hey, I was a good kid. For the most part," he added with a laugh. "Anyway, the owner caught me and instead of calling the cops, he called my mother." Andy pulled her lips inside her mouth, holding back a smile. "I spent every day for two weeks cleaning his store; the windows, the floors, you name it." He ran a knuckle down the bridge of his nose and smiled. "Actually, I ended up working in that store for two years. But eventually, he had to start paying me."

He looked at her in question. "What?" she asked and then her eyebrows went up. "Oh, me?" She tilted her head back and looked up at the tree stretching over head and then back down at him. "Um…when I was thirteen, I was playing one-on-one and got a little too close and caught an elbow in the face." She lifted a hand and ran her fingers over the skin above her cheek. "My third black eye."

"Your third?" he asked with a short laugh.

She shrugged and held out her hand, counting on her fingers. "First was a baseball in the face, second was a fight with the kid next door, third was an elbow."

"I hope you kicked that kid's ass," he said with a laugh.

She grinned proudly. "He was walking funny by the time our parents pulled us apart."

He grinned back as he rubbed his hands up her thighs about six inches and then back down to her knees. "What about when you were fourteen?" she asked.

"When I was fourteen…" He thought about it, and then a smile broke across his face. "When I was fourteen, Courtney Winters moved in next door."

"Oh yeah?" Andy asked with a grin, eyebrows sky high.

"Oh yeah," he repeated slowly, a leer on his face. She shoved his shoulder and he laughed. "She was a year younger than Sarah and just very…" he paused, grinning at the memory and then looked at her, "smart." Andy snorted, rolling her eyes.

"I'll bet. Let's move it along."

* * *

><p>Eventually, they grew too cold to sit there any longer and they cranked the heat up in the truck on the way back to Andy's. The neighborhood was quiet, sleepy even. Her stomach growled as he pulled into park and they slowly walked up the stairs together, feeling the stiffness in their legs a little more strongly than before. After entering the apartment, Andy walked into the kitchen as Sam closed the door quietly behind him and stood there, waiting. She came back with a huge pizza box and a couple of beers.<p>

"Take off your coat, Swarek," she said with a glint in her eye. "Stay a while." He smiled and nodded as he pulled it off and hung it on one of the hooks. "Sarah must really like pizza," she said, setting the box down on the coffee table.

"Uh, if that's hers, you might as well just toss it. We can eat cereal."

"I'm out," Andy said as she opened the beers and held his out.

"Well, if you eat that, you'll be sorry," he said as he walked to the couch and took the bottle from her with a grin. "Sarah likes double onions."

Andy's lips stretched into a grin and she pulled out a piece. "What? You won't kiss me if I eat this?"

He laughed. "I won't touch you with a ten-foot pole if you eat that." She held the piece up, and nipped off the end. "Well, I guess that's that," he said as he sat back and picked up the remote. She walked the two steps to him and snatched it away. Then she sat at the other end of the couch with her legs crossed under her, facing him.

She took a bite and chewed and swallowed. "Tell me something else about you," she said, reaching for her beer.

"Where were we?" he asked, yawning.

She shrugged and waved a hand. "Just tell me anything."

"Anything." He crossed his arms and looked at her.

"Don't over-think it," she said with a grin, uncrossing her legs and reaching out with her foot to push at his thigh. He winced as her toe dug into the sore muscle and he grabbed her foot, placing it on top of his leg. She stretched out her other leg and he grabbed that foot too. "Don't you have any deep dark secrets?" He laughed. "Or hidden talents?"

"You mean, besides that one you already know about?" he asked, sliding his eyes over to hers; feeling pleased when she flushed to the tips of her ears.

But she nodded and laughed. "Yeah, besides that one."

He rolled his eyes. "Fine." He searched for something random. "I can play the guitar." Her eyes widened in surprise. "At least I used to be able to," he said, a bit of worry passing over his face.

She looked at him suspiciously. "You don't have a guitar."

"I do. It's been in the basement for like three years, but I could play it, if I could find it." He took down a large portion of his beer.

"Would you play _me_ something?" she asked, taking another bite.

"If I could find it," he repeated with a laugh. "And once I got it cleaned up, and restrung, and tuned."

She wiggled her feet and he rubbed his hand over the tops of them. "You know I'm going to dig it out, first chance I get, right?" she asked.

"I'm hoping to get you so drunk you'll forget," he said with a smile as he tipped his beer to his mouth.

"Good luck. This is all the beer I have left," she said with a laugh. Then her head snapped up. "You won't sing though, right?" she asked seriously. "Because I've heard you in the shower." She tried to keep the smile off her face, but somehow it ended up there anyway.

"Why am I here again?" he asked, eyebrows drawing together slightly in mock confusion.

She smiled as she swallowed the last bite of crust. "Because you love me." she said, feeling the smile grow wider as the words hung in the air around her.

"Have another slice," he said laughing. "See how much I love you then."

"You really are a baby," she said with a smirk, but pulled her feet out of his lap. "I'll go brush if it means that much to you." As she turned away, he grabbed her hand and pulled her down so she fell across his lap.

"Let's just experiment a little," he said with a grin as he leaned up and met her mouth halfway. Her hands moved to his face framing it gently. After a long moment, he pulled away, looked at her with narrowed eyes, and sat back.

"How does it taste?" she asked, smiling down at him.

"Tastes a little like pizza," he said and raised his eyes to hers making a face. "But mostly like onions." She laughed and leaned down, kissing him hard once more, despite his feeble attempts to fend her off. And then she got up and went back to the bathroom.

Sam yawned once, then again and pushed himself up off the couch. It was getting late; it had been dark for hours. Work was going to come early tomorrow morning. His phone vibrated in his pocket and he pulled it out. Sarah. He clicked it on. "Yeah?" He walked over to the door and took his coat off the hook.

"Your friend, Epstein? He cleaned me out."

"What?" he asked confused.

"The kid cleaned me out. He's got x-ray vision or something. He took everything I won from Oliver and Jerry and an extra $200 from my purse. I can't believe you set me up!"

"Sarah, I swear," he said with a laugh. "I didn't know." He put his coat on, pulling the collar out, straightening it.

"Cooper's gonna kill me." Andy walked back into the room and Sam let Sarah babble for a second. He held the phone to his chest as Andy moved in close to him and pressed her fingers against his cheek, leaning in to kiss him, mouth minty fresh. He heard a squawking and pulled away and put the phone back up to his ear.

"Sarah, I've gotta go."

"Wait," she said and he paused, his finger on the end button. "Are you with Andy?"

"Yeah," he said, smiling at her. "I'm with Andy." She leaned in and put her ear up to the phone.

"Did you guys make up? Because you've been gone forever, and if you're not making up, I could really use your help winning my money back."

"Bye, Sarah," Andy said and reached out and pushed the button, ending the call. She took it from him and tossed it over her shoulder onto the couch where it bounced gently.

Then she leaned in and slid her arms around his waist and kissed him again. His hands moved up and lost he lost them in her hair as he moved his mouth against hers and finally, after a few moments, he leaned against the door, pulling back. His hand was on the doorknob and Andy kissed him slowly one last time. Her eyes were dark, heavy lidded, and she pressed her palm flat against his chest.

"Where are you going? We just got here," she asked quietly.

He exhaled loudly. "I'm going home."

"Why?"

"Because I'm exhausted," he said with a tired laugh as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I know it feels like a million years ago, but we raced each other for thirteen miles today. And I don't know about you, but I worked my ass off."

She smiled and didn't say anything.

"What?"

"I could've worked harder," she said, sheepishly. He rolled his eyes and her look was replaced with a smile. "You should stay."

He gave a weak laugh. "McNally, we're stiff and achy and we're idiots because it's going to be even worse tomorrow, and we didn't take the day off."

"And it's already late," Andy said nodding.

"It is. And if I stay," he paused and looked at her, eyebrows raised. "Neither of us is going to get any rest."

She watched him for a second and then lifted a shoulder in a shrug. "Stay anyway," she said, looking at him. "We can just sleep." She put her arms around his waist. "I want to sleep next to you."

He looked at her and hesitated. She raised one eyebrow and he took a deep breath and as he reached up and covered her hand with his, gave in. "Okay."

They moved around, turning off lights, putting away the pizza, throwing away the empty bottles. Then they both went into the bedroom and started disrobing, pulling their shirts off, groaning together and laughing as they bent over and pulled their jeans down.

Sam threw the extra pillows to the floor and climbed under the blanket as Andy turned to her dresser. She pulled out an oversized T-shirt and let it fall down over her body, down to her thighs. She ran a brush through her hair a few times and then walked over to the bed.

Sam held the comforter up and she climbed in next to him and turned, settling her back against his chest. He put his hand on her, sliding it up from her hip, across her torso until it came to rest against her ribs and he bent to smell her hair, that dark violet smell that never failed to make him smile. Andy leaned up and flipped off the lamp and when she laid back down, in the dim light coming through the window, he saw the neck of her shirt gaping. The back of her shoulder was exposed and he gathered her more closely to him, and pressed a kiss to it, because he loved that spot; feminine, even though the muscle was strong and defined. And then he did it again, because he'd missed her so much over the last two days.

And before he knew it, his arm had tightened around her, and his mouth was moving over her skin, tongue moistening the side of her neck. When his teeth scraped teasingly against the skin, she turned under his arm.

She slid up against him, squirming a little as his mouth moved to her collarbone. "What about work tomorrow?" she asked, smiling at him.

He lifted his head and brushed his lips across hers a few times. "We'll call in sick." Her mouth opened under his and he kissed her deeply, pulling away as her arms twined around his neck.

"And I thought we were tired and achy," she said with a quiet laugh. She slowly lifted her leg, wrapping it over his hip, and his hand followed her thigh, hitching it higher, even as she sucked in a breath. He kissed the line of her jaw, making his way around. As his lips moved against the skin below her ear, Andy felt shivers move through her body as he spoke and she laughed as his words chased each other around through her brain.

"I guess we'll just have to pace ourselves."

* * *

><p><strong>Don't get too sad. I said last "full-length chapter." The Epilogue will be posted shortly. :) And yes, I watched BB play the guitar...probably 15 times, and literally couldn't help myself.<strong>


	20. Epilogue

**Note: I don't even really know what to say here. Thanks to you all for every single review I've gotten on this story. The encouragement has been astounding. I would have never turned a ten chapter story into this monster without all your help and incredibly kind words. Thanks again to Cocobean2206 and icewitch73. And super huge thanks to all the RB people. With no Sam and Andy, our lives would certainly be a little more boring.**

**Please review! It's the last time, I swear!**

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><p><strong>Mile Marker 22 of the Marathon<strong>

Andy groaned out loud as she passed it. She'd almost convinced herself that she'd missed one, that she was actually one mile closer. Her legs were numb. They had to be. That was the only possible reason she was still moving. After all, what kind of sane person would endeavor to move 26.2 miles on foot? It was starting to feel like she had bricks tied around her ankles. The music coming through her ear buds was pumping away, but it wasn't doing the job. She'd been listening to this playlist for hours now. She needed something else to distract her. As she turned a corner, she saw the cop in uniform watching the crowd, keeping an eye on traffic driving on the cross street.

The race route ran through 15 Division's jurisdiction; ran right by the station as a matter of fact, and so a large percentage of the available officers were monitoring the route, keeping traffic away from the runners. She'd already caught glimpses of Nash at Mile 3, Peck at Mile 12, and Williams at Mile 16. Of course, she'd seen Sam several times throughout the course, and each time, it helped to push her a little harder. Diaz shouted to her that she only had 4 miles to go, and she gave him a smile, even though she didn't feel like it. It helped though, to have people cheering for her. Around him, other people took up the call. She heard them yelling her name, wondering how they knew it, and then remembered what she was wearing.

A week and a half ago, Sam had surprised her. It hadn't been flowers, or jewelry. Well, not really, she thought looking over at the new GPS tracking watch wrapped around her wrist. He'd said it was for the race, but knew she'd want a few weeks to get used to it, to learn all the functions before the day came. Then she ran a hand down over the shirt she was wearing. The second part of the gift. He'd had it specially made. A tech shirt, in navy blue, with the word POLICE in large white block print across the front. McNALLY was silkscreened across the back. She smiled, as she remembered the pleased look on his face as she'd laughed, holding it up.

To be fair, he was trying to buy her off because he'd tricked her. And she knew it.

* * *

><p><strong>Mile Marker 23<strong>

Andy hit the water station, taking two cups and tossing them back one after the other. What had she been thinking about? Oh, yeah. The day she'd found out he'd pulled one over on her.

_After the half marathon, Sam began spending nights at Andy's. A lot of nights; sometimes five nights a week. And as a result, his belongings had started spending time there as well. Clothing, his gear from work, his running stuff, his tools, his guitar; he'd even brought over his coffee pot, swearing that it made better tasting coffee. And his books. His books were everywhere; she'd had no idea the guy liked to read so much. He'd always seemed like more of an action guy to her. But every time she came back from a long run with the running club from the gym, she'd see him there, on the couch, with a book, waiting for her. One of her favorite mental images of him was from the day she'd walked in and found him sleeping on her couch, a book flattened on his chest as he snored lightly. _

_She'd been tripping over his things for weeks, over their things; she'd tried shoving them around, to make space for everything. But one day, two weeks ago, after a particularly grueling 20 miler, she walked into the bathroom, saw his shaving stuff all mixed in with her bottles and tubes. Some of his clothing was laying on the floor, preventing the door from swinging all the way open and she picked it up and carried it back to the bedroom, dropping it into the basket. She turned around and saw three stacks of clean laundry, folded, quickly morphing into nothing more than a pile on the floor. She knew it was ridiculous, but she'd completely lost her mind._

_She grabbed up most of the clothing and walked it out to the living room and dumped it into his lap while_ _he sat tuning his guitar. He looked up in surprise, pulling the pick out from between his lips._

"_This place is too small for you and me and all of our shit," she said loudly. He picked a sock off the neck of the instrument and dropped it onto the couch. _

"_Well," he said. "Where am I supposed to put it? Your drawers are tiny."_

"_I don't care. Just not….everywhere," Andy said waving her arms. She went into the kitchen, frustration radiating from her, and grabbed a bottle of water out of the fridge. She was still hot and sweaty from her run. She felt awful and looked even worse and she was cranky. She went back into the living room when she heard him return to plucking strings. _

"_Why don't we stay at your place anymore," she asked, twisting the cap off. She took a long drink as she looked at him_

_He smiled to himself. "You don't like my place. I think you made that perfectly clear."_

"_I __**love**__ that house," she said very seriously. "We've had a lot of really great times in that house."_

_He shrugged. "I like it here," he said simply as he bent once more to the guitar._

_She put her hands on her hips. "Well there isn't enough room for us here."_

"_I don't know what to tell you," he said, hiding a smile._

_She stood there and, after letting it roll around in her head, looked at him. "I think we have two choices." His hands stilled and he looked up at her. "Either, we pack all this shit up and move it to your place, or…"_

"_Pack what?"_

_Her eyes widened and she waved her arms again. "Everything," she said, as if it were obvious._

_He paused and took a breath, and then he spoke carefully. "Are you saying you want to move out of your apartment and into my house?" he asked, squeezing in a tiny bit of incredulousness._

_She thrust out a hip as she started counting on her fingers. "It has more rooms. Every single one of those rooms is bigger than the rooms here. You have a satellite dish, a garage, storage. __**Lots**__ of storage. The closets are deeper." She looked at him, her look completely humorless. "It's either this, or we break up, because I just can't stand it anymore." She stalked away into the bedroom and he grinned to himself._

_The next day, they walked in to the landlord's office and laid down the cash and signed the papers, breaking her lease. And then, later that night, after they'd taken the first load of boxes over to his house, after they'd moved her dresser in with all her clothing, and moved Sam's bed into the guest room, he'd told her the truth. That he'd been systematically moving things into her apartment, purposely leaving them out where she'd see them, where he knew they would irritate her, in an attempt to crowd her out. After hearing that, she'd looked at him in amazement and then got a determined look on her face and leaned in close and whispered, "I'm going to make your life a living hell." _

_He barked out a laugh and sat back in his chair, taking a drink from the tumbler in his hand. "And how will that be any different than usual?"_

* * *

><p><strong>Mile Marker 24<strong>

Ok, the last mile had gone more quickly than the one before. She tried to get back there, to the memories, but all she could think was that her muscles were trembling. That after she finally finished, she'd barely be able to walk. She'd end up spending days on the couch, or in bed, hardly able to move around. Actually, days in bed didn't sound too terrible. Unbidden, images from the day before flashed in front of her eyes and she took a huge breath, trying to keep them in front of her as she jogged slowly.

_Yesterday, they found themselves back in her apartment, one last trip, moving out her bed. They'd taken it apart and moved all the wooden pieces down to the truck and were hauling the mattress out. It was out of the bedroom, barely, after they had to shove it around a corner. Now, they were holding it up on its side in the living room. _

_And they were arguing. Again. It wasn't a screaming match, but they'd been moving things all day, and they were both tired and crabby and were sniping at each other. _

_Finally Andy threw up her hands, letting go of her end of the mattress and unprepared, Sam struggled to hold it up, but it crashed to the floor and he put his hands on his hips, shaking his head at her, fighting to keep control of his temper as she walked away to the beer she'd opened and left on the counter. Andy took a long drink of it, and pulled up the bottom of her shirt to wipe the sweat and grime from her face. _

"_If you'd stop taking breaks, we'd be done with this by now," he snapped, watching her._

"_Hey, you were the one who had to stop to go pick up lunch." She shrugged and crossed her arms. "I don't know why I'm complaining. You were only gone __**two**__** hours**," she retorted snidely. _

_He blew out a frustrated breath. "Let's just finish this, alright? We still have to put it back together when we get it home." Sam looked at it and closed his eyes, hating the mere thought of having to carry it up the porch and through the kitchen, around the corners to the bedroom. "Or maybe we could just sleep in the guest room another night," he said, exhausted._

_Andy exhaled loudly, and walked up and handed her beer to him and he finished it, rubbing his thumb over the condensation clinging to the side of the bottle. "Maybe we should just call it a day," she said, giving up. Her hair was hanging in her face and she aimed a breath at it, finally combing it back with her fingers. "I don't want to do this anymore, and I need to try to sleep soon. Gotta be up early tomorrow," she reminded him. _

_Sam nodded and set the empty bottle on the floor. He reached for her. And she moved away._

_She laughed throatily, dancing out of his reach. "Don't touch me. I'm filthy."_

_He smirked and took a step, stretching out his arm for her again. He stuck the tips of his fingers in the waistband of her jeans, and hauled her forward. "I like you filthy," he said, licking the tip of his thumb and rubbing it across a dirt smear on her face. Andy twisted away from him, rubbing her face on her shoulder._

"_I'm sweaty," she protested again. He ran his tongue over his bottom lip and pulled her against him, bending his nose to her neck and inhaled. _

"_Yeah. I know," he said, running his eyes over her. And then she was suddenly feeling a little light-headed, a little short of breath. "I like you sweaty." His hands pulled her shirt up and slid against the skin of her back, and she shivered as the cool air hit her damp skin. "I like the goosebumps too," Sam said softly, laughing quietly as his mouth touched her ear. _

_Things moved pretty quickly after that. Andy's hands were quick, practiced, and unbuttoned his jeans, slid her hands inside, down the sides of his hips, pushing them down to the floor. He stepped out of them and made quick work of her tank top and bra. His shirt followed, as did her jeans. He worked the elastic out of her hair, the underwear was done away with and by the time he tumbled her down on to the mattress in the middle of the empty living room, half-drunk with lust, their breath was coming fast, heavy. Sam's hands slowed, dragging out every movement, prolonging every response. And he slid up alongside her, settling against her as her legs wrapped around him…_

* * *

><p><strong>Mile Marker 25<strong>

Andy blew out a deep breath, unable to keep the grin off her face as a different kind of heat flooded through her. Only 1.2 miles to go. She looked at her tracker and then ahead of her once more. _Where was I?_ she asked herself. It took about half a second to remember and as she sunk back into the memory, she heard a shrill whistle and looked to her left. Sarah and Cooper were standing there. She laughed out loud as Sarah hopped over the barrier and ran next to her for a moment, snapping half a dozen pictures in rapid succession as Andy held a hand in front of the lens.

She and Sam had been to their house three weeks before for a much needed mini-vacation. It had been Cooper's birthday and they'd just had a small get together with neighbors and coworkers and family.

_Sarah and Cooper lived maybe 5 miles outside of St. Catharines in a large one-story on a tiny little lake. On the property sat a large garage and a few other outbuildings, and lots of trees. So many that it must have been a nightmare to mow the lawn. She looked over at Sam. _

"_How can you not know anything about the outdoors when Sarah lives here?"_

_He shrugged. "They only bought this place two years ago; I haven't been here that many times. And when I do," he glanced at the yard, "I usually stay inside." He grinned at her. When they first pulled up, Cooper was out in the yard with his head down in the engine of Sarah's car. He heard the truck spitting gravel onto the driveway and peeked around the hood. He was wearing a faded orange sweatshirt, covered in grease smears, sleeves pushed up to the elbows. A pair of old, holey jeans rode low on his hips as he wiped his hands on a rag. Sam parked, swung himself out of the truck and walked up, and they did what Andy called 'the man hug'; a combination of handshake and shoulder to shoulder contact that lasted only a brief moment. Andy had been expecting her version of a history teacher, a stodgy old man living in tweed. But Cooper was young. Closer to Sam's age than Sarah's. Maybe even younger. And he wasn't stodgy at all. _

_Andy got out of the truck and walked over. And smiled, pleasantly surprised. Sarah had said he was amazing. She'd been holding out on her. The man was beautiful. His short brown hair had a little red in it, and his eyes were blue, bright in the sunlight. A square jaw sat above broad shoulders, tapering down to slim hips that led to long legs. Andy found her eyes moving over him slowly as Sam introduced her, giving her a little nudge when he realized she wasn't paying attention. _

"_What?" she asked, startled. "Oh, sorry." She held out her hand and Cooper grinned as he shook it. His teeth were even and white, his smile genuine and as his large hand closed over hers, Andy felt her smile widening. He turned back to the car and Sam followed him around._

"_It's giving you trouble again?" he asked, his eyes still on Andy as he shook his head at her. __**Pathetic**__, he mouthed, giving her a grin. _

_She walked over and leaned towards him and whispered, "Tell me he runs, and I might have to rethink my options." He crossed his arms and looked at her with a small smile._

"_You know you're going to pay for that, right?"_

_She grinned and quirked an eyebrow. "You promise?"_

_He rolled his eyes and turned away. "Go find my sister." _

_Cooper popped his head up and looked at her. "She's in the shed." He pointed to a smallish outbuilding near the garage and then once again bent to the engine. And after taking a second to admire two very nice backsides, she spun around and set off towards the shed to get the real story of how Sarah and Cooper got together._

* * *

><p><strong>Mile Marker 26<strong>

She pushed all thoughts of their trip out of her mind. Two tenths of a mile to go. In the distance, Andy could see the finish line. The sight of it brought her to the edge of tears as she closed her eyes in gratitude for only a second. The crowd was large and loud and gathered on either side of and behind the finishers' chute. She couldn't yet make out individual faces but she saw a smudge of blue right in the middle, on her side of the barriers and she grinned, sprinting for it, as best as she was able.

She was passing people who were calling to her, telling her, "Great job! Almost there!" And she tried to smile but she was too focused on the chute. As tired as she was, she kicked hard, feeling something inside her burst open as she propelled herself over the finish line but she didn't stop until she got halfway down the chute where Sam was waiting.

He'd worked the morning, moving along the length of the race in the squad car, stopping and getting out of the car only to yell to her at miles 4, 8, 15, and once again at 20. Every time, she'd waved to him, a huge smile on her face, even though he knew she couldn't be feeling great towards the end. Finally, he'd made his way to the chute where he had spent the last hour or so waiting for her to cross. Because they were wearing the uniforms, he and Oliver had been allowed to stand inside the barriers to wait, under the assumption that they were keeping the peace. He wasn't on duty anymore and had dropped his belt with all his gear in the trunk, but he hadn't gotten back to the station to change. Next to him, Shaw was eating a cookie he'd sweet-talked from one of the vendors; he was waiting for Andy to cross so he could take them back to their truck and then get on with the rest of his day.

Sam saw her coming. He'd been keeping an eye out for that blue tech shirt for close to a half hour. Now, he stood there slightly bent over, arms open and she ran up and launched herself at him. He stumbled back into a few people who managed to keep them vertical as her legs lifted only a little and he reached down and pulled her up, settling them around his waist.

He held her up, laughing and talking into her ear; telling her he was proud of her as she continued to breathe heavily. And then she said, a little choked up, still out of breath, "I hate you for making me do this alone." He laughed again and then heard her voice wavering, almost breaking, "I swear I'm never doing this again."

He let go of her legs and she slid down over him and she leaned her forehead against his uniform as his hands gripped her shoulders, and her fingers clutched at the fabric at his ribs.

"So, when do we start training for next year?" he asked with a laugh.

"Never," she said with a groan. She pulled back and looked up and he saw her eyes were a little wet and he rubbed his thumbs over her cheeks. She felt a smile pulling at her lips. "Or seven months, if I ever walk again." A volunteer handed her a bottle of water and she took it, holding the sweating cold bottle against her forehead, her chest.

Sam put his arm around her and started pulling her through the barriers; walking her on wobbly legs to cool her muscles down. "You'll be fine. As far as the two of us have come this past year, what's a few more miles?" he asked, looking down at her with a beaming smile.

She looked at him and then shook her head in disbelief. "That's gotta be the _cheesiest_ thing I've ever heard you say." And then she narrowed her eyes. "Did you forget how long a marathon is? Not to mention all the training miles? We're talking hundreds of miles. Way more than a few."

"McNally, I'm trying to have a moment here with you," he said with a laugh.

"I don't want to have a moment. I'm tired and my legs hurt. Let's have a moment tomorrow, or next week even," she said pulling away and then bending forward to stretch her back.

He grinned. "God, you complain a lot."

"I just ran 26 miles," she said with a laugh. "I'm allowed to complain." She opened the bottle of water and took a mouthful, rinsed her mouth out and spit it into the grass. She finished half the remaining water in two swallows.

"Can I at least congratulate you?" Sam asked as he looked at her, putting his hands on his hips.

"If by congratulate you mean feed, massage, and that you're gonna fill the tub with ice, then yes. Knock yourself out." She rolled her head around on her shoulders. Then she reached out for his hand and held onto him while she crouched down for a few seconds, closing her eyes and moaning out loud as her muscles stretched.

He grinned down at her. "I was thinking of something more immediate."

Andy stood up and closed the distance between them, her small smile spreading into a grin as she looked at him, grabbed a fistful of his shirt, and pulled him to her. His hands came up and wrapped around her arms as he leaned over, touching his forehead to hers. Sam's lips touched hers once, and as the breeze stirred the hair falling from her ponytail onto her neck, a tremor ran through her. Her hands slid up from his shirt to his jaw and before she pulled his mouth to hers, she smiled, eyes full of laughter, and said, "I guess that other stuff can wait a while. A few minutes, at least."

* * *

><p><strong>And is anyone else wondering the true story behind Sarah and Cooper? Because I know I am. Okay, I need to just stop. :)<strong>


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